HIVE Minded
by Slayer Anderson
Summary: Danny gets an acceptance notification from a school that he never applied to. I know what you're thinking…green ink, owls, and a castle, right? Sorry, not this time. An attempt at originality towards a worn concept. Rewrite coming soon.
1. School Daze

Slayer Anderson

HIVE-Minded Part 1: Relocated

A Danny Phantom/Teen Titans Fanfiction

05/25/09

* * *

Summary: Danny Fenton gets an acceptance notification from a school that he never applied to. I know what you're thinking…green ink, owls, and a castle, right? Sorry, not this time.

* * *

*A/N (1): This story takes place after 'The Fenton Menace.' All events before that episode are identical to the cannon storyline. This means the events of 'The Ultimate Enemy' have already occurred and Jazz knows who Danny is.

*A/N (2): The Teen Titans storyline, when it overlaps, will do so before the introduction of the Hive team. Therefore, this storyline begins before the events of the animated Teen Titans series do.

* * *

Chapter 1-School Daze

* * *

_Dear Mr. Fenton,_

_We at the HIVE Academy for Extraordinary Young People would like to offer you a scholarship to attend our prestigious school free of charge, complete with room and board. Our facilities include state of the art electronic libraries, exercise and work-out rooms, and only the most competent lecturers. Virtually any subject can be researched and awarded credit for on our curriculum standards._

_We also offer a very understanding atmosphere for uniquely gifted or challenged students and are willing to accommodate physical disabilities, medical concerns, and intellectual needs. Our enclosed brochure and scholarship offer details will, we hope, convince you that the HIVE Academy for Extraordinary Young People is the appropriate choice for your continued education._

_Sincerely,_

Headmistress Alexandria Trotsky

_P.S.-This letter should arrive while a school representative is in your area. To schedule a meeting with our representative, please call (555)555-8989._

"Well Dann-o, looks like you got my brains, at least!"

His father's rant went unheard as Daniel Fenton looked disbelievingly at the invitation. It had taken a moment, but the unreality of the situation had hit him…hard. His grades were…less than spectacular.

No, if he was honest with himself, his grades were horrible.

So, the question became: How did a C average (barely) buy him acceptance, much less a scholarship, into a _private_ school. It was…wrong. More than that, every sense that he had honed as the superhero Danny Phantom was going off in alarm.

"I'm not going," Danny said suddenly, making both his parents blink in confusion. Maddie frowned as her goggled eyes narrowed.

"Danny, I know you may like Casper High and your little friends, but you should at least consider the offer. It's a wonderful opportunity for you to enrich your education."

Danny shook his head. "Mom, I appreciate the offer, but I don't think…"

"You could at least go and talk to them," Maddie pointed out. "It won't hurt to check out the school and you don't have to make your decision now."

"Mom…"

"Or you could help you father clean the lab for…oh, how about the next three months?" Maddie smiled pleasantly, her tone vaguely unsettling.

Danny sighed, beaten. "Fine. I'll just…give them a call, then…"

"I'm glad to see you taking this opportunity Danny," Maddie said graciously, kissing her son on the cheek and moving to get dinner ready.

Jasmine Fenton walked in her house to find her father ranting about how smart his son was, her mother humming happily as she basted a chicken with an ectoplasmic baking compound, and Danny looking consigned to a horrible fate.

She sighed tiredly and approached Danny.

"So, what'd I miss?"

* * *

"Weird," Tucker commented, only half of his attention on the conversation; the other half focused on the small device in his hands and its glowing screen.

"Tucker," Sam growled, "Its not just weird! Danny's right, it might be one of Vlad's plans!"

"To…what? Get Danny a quality education?" Tucker responded sarcastically.

"How about getting him away from Amity Park?" Sam replied. "Without Danny here, do you think we'd even have a chance against his royal cheese-ness?"

Tucker frowned, but didn't look up from his PDA. "I still don't think it _has _to be Vlad. Spectra's infiltrated the school system…twice now? You'd think they'd have a better hiring policy."

Sam snorted lightly, but conceded the point. Bad feelings, bad history, and attempted murder aside, Vlad wasn't behind _every_ scheme that came Danny's way. At least…not that they knew of.

"So, mom is freaking out about my meeting later, Jazz is freaking out about me getting a scholarship to a private school half-way across the country, and dad is…" Danny shrugged, not needing to finish that sentence.

After all, Jack Fenton's behavior was fairly predictable, come hell or high water.

"Why is Jazz freaking out?" Sam asked. "No offense, but I thought she'd be happy to see you get away from all the ghost stuff. Especially with that horrible family vacation from last month."

Danny shivered. "If I ever see Young Blood again, it'll be too soon. Well, to tell the truth, Jazz seemed a little…frustrated. After all, she's got the good grades, so I guess she was angry…maybe jealous."

"I don't blame her," Tucker muttered. "I mean, if I were picking for scholarships I wouldn't go for a freshman, much less one with your grades."

"Thanks Tuck," Danny sighed sardonically. "You know, I was kind of looking forward to some time off. If this doesn't turn out to be some crazy plot maybe I should try the other school."

"You don't really mean that, do you Danny?" Sam asked, suddenly worried.

"No…well, maybe. I'd just like to be normal once and a while and anytime I try, I end up fighting Vlad, the Fright Knight, the Ghost King, or…" Danny trailed off again. The memories of his alternate, evil, self were still to fresh. Too raw.

Sam bulldozed through the awkward moment.

"But you're Amity Park's hero, Danny! If you leave, the ghosts will have free reign, practically!"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Sam, I think you and Tucker would have things covered for a while if I had to leave. Besides, it wouldn't be forever, maybe just a semester if I didn't like it. Plus, if there was a real emergency, I could fly across country in a few hours."

Sam frowned, but didn't press the matter.

Tucker shrugged the problem off as he was wont to do with everything not related to his precious electronic. "Sam, relax. Danny's right, we'll take care of it if the spooks cause trouble and we can always ask Danny's-"

"-Sister," Danny interrupted. "You can ask my sister. Since Jazz knows my secret, she'll make time to help you. I'd rather you didn't put my parents in mortal danger while I'm not around to save them. If things get desperate, you can go to Valerie for help. If you drop enough hints, she'll come out guns blazing."

"Right," Sam said sourly. It didn't sit well with her, having to depend on Vlad's 'happy little helper,' but if it came down to that or another ghost invasion… "Talk about the evil you know."

"Better than the evil you don't," Tucker recited. "So, when's this interview?"

Danny blinked and looked down to his watch. "…Damn it."

Sam and Tucker tried not to snicker as the secret teen superhero took off running.

* * *

"You must be Mr. Fenton, right on time."

One good thing about his…extracurricular activities, he could run faster than almost any other student in his school and, from the look of it, he needed every second. The woman who greeted him in the hotel was the epitome of a strict disciplinarian; her hair was drawn back into a tight bun and she wore clothing that would be more at home a few decades earlier with sharp eyes and a sharper tone of voice.

"Well? Come in, we haven't time to dawdle," She criticized curtly.

"Yes mam," Danny replied, snapping to attention. As he walked into the room and set down, he noticed her cryptic gaze following him, judging. Silently, he thanked his mother for forcing him into a pressed polo and slacks and taming his hair.

With a barely perceptible nod, he knew he'd past whatever unspoken inspection she had performed. The woman sat across from him with impeccable posture and opened a file folder with his name on it. His breath caught in his throat as he caught sight of the photo on the top file.

"Let me begin by commending you, Mr. Fenton. Most villains don't bother with the menial task of maintaining a secret identity. It took quite a bit of legwork for even _our _agents to find the renowned menace Danny Phantom. You are a very good actor Mr. Fenton, especially given that you live with the world-famous ghost hunters."

The sudden unreality of the situation left the teen in gaping shock and panic.

"Now, now, don't be so surprised. The Hive academy is always looking for gifted individuals inclined to terrorizing or thieving the populous. You've been on our recruitment list for quite a while, you know."

The damning photo caught him in mid-morph and shock drained away as it was replaced by anger. Again, _again_! Why couldn't he just have one normal day! Just one! The temperature in the room dropped dramatically as Danny, whether rationally or irrationally, sought out a target for his rage.

The Headmistress' breath caught in her throat as the teen's eyes flashed a cool ectoplasmic green and then, as quick as before, to a ice-blue so cold as to be artic. She had been suspicious when her agents had reported such a seemingly light-hearted person as a talented villain. That he could make Public Enemy #1, even in such a small city as Amity Park…

What she saw now, though…

The dark seething anger directed at her, the cold black tug at her heart that she hadn't felt since an age she thought long past.

She smiled a smile better suited to a shark.

"What do you want?" Danny growled out, his anger having blinded him to her earlier words.

The Headmistress smiled another toothy smile. "I want you to be a student at my school. It would be quite the feather in our hat to have you choose us over our competitors."

"School?" Danny asked dumbly, flummoxed by the suggestion that someone would go to all the trouble of finding out his secret identity to… "You want me to go to a school for villains?"

Normally, he would proudly declare that he was a hero. He'd done it enough that it proved the majority of the people in this town were deaf or retarded. But, the woman in front of him seemed to have a vested interest in him being, not only a villain, but a fairly famous one. So, for once in his life, Daniel Fenton bit his tongue.

"Absolutely, we offer a variety of courses, such as Doomsday Device Construction 503, Sewing Dissention in Political Sciences 208, and Practical Applications for Theories of Destruction 101." The Headmistress recited gladly. "For a student of your caliber, your scholarship would include room and board and some additional spending money if your grades remain acceptable."

"About that," Danny broached the subject gently, trying to ignore the fact that the school actually sounded interesting. "If you've done so much research on me then you should know I have…"

"If you attend The HIVE academy, we forgive all previous academic discrepancies. Understand, though, you will be held to the highest standards if you make this commitment." The Headmistress elaborated sternly.

"And if I don't?" Danny asked, struck by a fit of rebelliousness and reminding himself that he was a hero. Heroes didn't associate with villains. They especially didn't go to _school_ with them.

Another toothy smile.

"Even though they are just minions or mind controlled puppets that you've duped into believing they're your parents…destroying them would be detrimental to your cover at least. If that isn't enough, I'm willing to leak this image to the press, internet, and anyone who would even be willing to talk to you. I think you'll find we can make your life…afterlife, very difficult."

Danny closed his eyes to keep from following his first instinct, which was to overshadow the woman and manipulate her memories. She reminded him too much of Vlad.

If he'd learned one thing about the fruit-loop, it was that he always, _always_ had a contingency plan.

So, Plan B, then…

"Do you offer career planning options?" His mom had told him to ask that, and it was as good a time as any to do so.

Especially since Plan B involved stalling.

"Since you ask, the classes we offer double as college credits and we have several degree plans…"

Danny blinked…high school _and_ college?

* * *

The meeting had lasted three hours.

In the end, they'd exchanged threats, cold stares, and Danny had said some things which would have had his mother cleaning his mouth out with a plasma torch. In comparison, it made what he'd said to Vlad on pervious occasions seem like small talk.

In his defense, Danny had never before faced someone like the Headmistress, which was the only name she'd given him to call her by. Vlad was nearly at her level, but she had schemes within schemes and had alluded to enough that even _Danny_ knew when he was outclassed.

Then she'd threatened his family.

He'd threatened her.

She'd threatened his friends.

He'd threatened her precious school.

She'd threatened his identity.

He'd…run out of threats.

And if he'd revealed he was a hero? She'd have seen all her threats to fruition in an instant and he'd…

Red eyes, fanged teeth, and a forked tongue made him shiver. If his family died…and he doubted he'd be able to protect everyone, everyday, twenty-four/seven… If he didn't go, his family would die, eventually. If he tried to fight, his family would die.

Eventually.

If he went…

Red eyes and a grinning mouth. Taunting him, looking out over a dead world.

The wind tugged at his jumpsuit as he flew patrol, his motions on autopilot and his mind wandering, trying desperately to find a solution. Rather, to find a way out of the problem he'd already sucked himself into.

In the end, he'd said yes.

Term started in two months.

Now he had to go home and explain exactly why he'd made a decision like that without any input from his family without telling them exactly why he'd made the decision. Besides, it wasn't like he could even _begin_ to tell his parents and…

Jazz, Tucker, and Sam would try to help.

And he knew, by the way the Headmistress' smile showed too many teeth, and that dark, cruel laughter behind her eyes…she wouldn't hesitate to kill them.

Then he was back to square one.

So he would go to school and learn how to be a proper villain. He would put forth his best effort. He'd make friends, smile, and learn everything he could. Then…then, he'd melt her face off.

Or freeze it.

He frowned as he looked at his ice-incrusted fist. That was yet another thing wrong with this day…and something he really needed to figure out. Flexing his fingers, he shook the ice off and focused on his more immediate concerns.

Friends and family.

The easiest way would be to just break it off with all of them. Tell them he was tired of all this ghost nonsense and wanted something like a normal life. He'd already said as much, but they hadn't taken him seriously.

Convince them that it was better this way.

Toe the line with the villains.

Try not to loose his soul to the darkness inside him.

His fist clenched again as ice formed over it. He hated himself for wanting that woman dead, for giving into her way of thinking so easily, so naturally. He hated himself for stooping to her level.

That still didn't make him hate her any less.

* * *

_I feel like I don't even know you!_

_Dude, we're your friends! At least give us a real reason!_

_Danny, you have responsibilities in Amity Park!_

Their voices fell on deaf ears as the months drew to a close. Danny concentrated on his school work more, isolated himself, and stopped going out with friends. He'd redoubled his ghost-fighting efforts, but was all the more brutal for it. His last fight with Skulker had taken out a city block, earned him a terrifying new reputation, and cemented his plans.

The only deviation had been Danni.

The ghost girl had stormed into his life and almost gotten him killed.

But…but, Danny felt hard-pressed to hold a grudge against someone who had been deceived into doing evil. Especially since he was being dragged, kicking and screaming, into the darkness himself.

He felt a certain grim satisfaction as the box ghost was incased in a beam of ice shot from his palm. That was yet another change.

After that mess with the Infi-map, he'd been wary of asking Frostbite for help again, but the yeti-dog-man-thing had come through with an impressive training regime. The fact that he'd turned Undergrowth into a hedge ornament did something to alleviate his conscience when he'd betrayed his town in almost every other way.

Soon, though, very soon, he'd be out of Amity Park, and free from hurting the people he loved. Then, in a year or so, he could return with that woman's head on a platter and give Vlad a few new bruises.

Things were already looking up.


	2. Confrontations and Assimilations

Slayer Anderson

Hive-Minded Part II

A Teen Titans/Danny Phantom Fanfiction

10/07/09

* * *

Chapter 2-Confrontations and Assimilations

* * *

_Dear Mr. Fenton,_

_With the new term starting up in a scant few weeks, we wish to issue a challenge to all new and returning students. Consider this something of a summer assignment. You will need to liberate the contents of two bank vaults without drawing any attention to yourself from the local populace, law enforcement, or superheroes. You will need to present proof-of-theft at your Deception and Stealth 101 class._

_H.I.V.E. Academy

* * *

_

He'd cashed the bus tickets in and decided to fly to California. Jump City, specifically, was this little no-name neo-metropolis city that wasn't particularly famous for anything. Well…

It wasn't _famous_ for it, but it did evidently have the largest secondary school for super-villains on the North American continent. He'd puzzle that one out later, because he had somewhat more pressing matters to consider right now.

One of the principle reasons he'd decided to fly to California as Phantom was so that he could make a few pit-stops along the way. The reason he'd need to make pit-stops was to finish his 'summer homework.'

Which was turning into the biggest headache he'd ever experienced.

All in all, he had every right to be angry; he was a ghost, stealing was supposed to be _easy_! Heck, he'd even done it before! In fact, it was more than a little embarrassing _not_ to be able to pull off a bank heist without getting caught.

He'd actually aborted his last two attempts a few towns ago when he'd set off a few motion alarms and a laser grid. It turned out, coincidentally, that even while intangible and invisible, his ectoplasmic body carried enough mass to disturb air currents and beams of dense light.

The second attempt had failed because someone had installed temperature sensors in the main vault and been _very _curious when the thermometer had dropped two dozen degrees. Evidently, his ghost form was a little cold.

…

Who knew?

…

To summarize, he was being blackmailed to attend a prestigious school for villains, had broken off any semblance of friendship with people who'd been there for him more than his own _family_, and…to top it all off…

He was _going to fail his summer assignment_!

Danny's face morphed into something ugly and angry.

Failure…

Would be equivalent to his family's death warrant.

Therefore, he'd have to pull out all the stops and think of a way to get into a bank, no matter what.

Vlad Masters would have cried tears of evil joy over the suddenly sinister expression Danny's face took on. Third time was the charm, after all, and if he had his way, and he would, the First National Bank of Dakota would be down a few thousand in just a few hours.

* * *

It took more than a few hours, but Danny Phantom was as good as his word. Get in, get the money, and get out. Of course, the letter had only mentioned that _he _couldn't receive any attention from the police.

It hadn't said that Carl Stevens couldn't.

Who was Carl Stevens, you might ask? He was a security guard at Dakota First National, which made him an ideal target to overshadow. The only reason it had taken him more than an hour to pull off the heist was that he'd never been especially tempted to learn the intricacies of overshadowing before.

He'd needed a little practice, but it had come to him easily enough.

Almost like…instinct, actually.

Then again, he was a ghost. Carl Stevens' body smiled genially as he sauntered out of the bank, a large sack slung over his should full of gold bars and emblazoned with the emblem of the bank on it. It hadn't taken long for people to realize that something was up with the person he was possessing, but he knew he'd be able to use his ghostly powers to move things along.

Ironically, that lesson was thanks to Vlad.

Without further fanfare, and before any real police could arrive, Danny phased his own body out of the security guard and grabbed the bag of money, taking care to remain invisible and intangible as Carl collapsed to the ground.

"Well that's something you don't see everyday: a bank bag just disappear into thin air. I think we've got more company than an unconscious guard, don't you Gear?"

Danny admirably refrained from cursing as he spotted what could only be the local superheroes. The one who had spoken was wearing a large blue coat over black pants and a white T-shirt with a lightning bolt piercing a circle.

"Running a full-range spectrograph, right now Static." The other one was wearing a green and white vest/pants combination and hovering on…rocket powered rollerblades? The sheer…strangeness of the moment gave Danny pause.

It would be his downfall.

"Backpack's got a hit!" Gear crowed proudly. "Abnormally cold spot of air right above the guard. Giving off some seriously weird energy, too!" The scent of ozone was all the warning he got before the-_literal_-shock of the attack brought him back into the visual spectrum.

Gear and Static stared at the white-haired, jump-suit wearing teen that emerged from nothing. The, admittedly mild, charge of electricity had dissipated over his form unnaturally quickly and they shivered as spectral green eyes locked onto them.

"You know," Phantom said as he dropped the bag and summoned ecto-blasts to his palms, "I wasn't looking for a fight. Now that I think about it, this would be a great chance to blow off some steam."

Static frowned. "In my experience, thieves never want a fight. They'd rather walk out with the goods unopposed."

"Besides," Gear cut in, "You look like you could use a good workout! You're so scrawny I'd worry about beating up someone half-dead."

Danny's face went cold as an old conflict rose up within him. One side told him just to clear out. After all, he'd already blown the assignment. Better to try again in another town than get in a pointless fight.

The other one, that usually sounded too much like Dark Dan for his liking, was tired of being pushed around, blackmailed, and _shot with energy blasts_! Normally, Phantom would be the better man and back down.

Normally.

Just like, normally, he would fire a warning shot or two to drive off whatever he was facing. Sam and Tucker normally attributed it to bad aim, but never had the insight to wonder why someone who'd spent an entire childhood around Fenton rifles, pistols, and miscellaneous weaponry would be so prone to missing shots.

The twin ecto-blasts hit the two heroes in the chest, knocking them off balance and away from him. Danny took to higher air and began charging another blast.

Static, however, had a faster reaction time than he'd expected and had shot out a bolt of electricity to grasp a parking meter and throw it in his direction. Danny snorted and phased into intangibility, letting it pass through him.

Phantom frowned as the meter left something behind as it passed through him. Later, he would equate it to an 'after-taste,' with Static's electrical charge tingling his ectoplasmic flesh.

"If that's your best shot, I've got a few tricks to teach you," Danny gloated as he waved his hand, dispersing a wide-area blast and forcing the two heroes to impact a nearby building.

"Oh yeah, skinny, try this!" Static yelled and thrust a bolt of lightning at the white-haired teen. Danny caught the full brunt of the shock and almost bit his tongue off as he fell out of the sky…

And _through_ the ground.

Gear blinked. "Okay, so…that's bad. Think he's gone Virg?"

Static frowned. "I'm more worried about what he is, Rich, than were he is right now. He's nothing like a normal Bang Baby!"

Gear nodded. "Backpack is scanning for some of those wonky energy readings, but whatever kind of blasts he's using seem to bleed it off like radiation."

Static paled. "I don't need to worry about growing a third arm, right?"

Gear shook his head as they both kept one eye on their surroundings. Things were getting more and more tense the longer…whoever it was stayed hidden. "Nothing harmful and its dissipating quickly, just-Look Out!"

Danny emerged from the ground behind Static and threw him off his flying disk, towards the ground. The five-foot drop only stunned him momentarily and Gear moved to take up the slack.

The techie pulled two egg-shaped grenades from his belt and threw them towards the white-haired teen. "My turn."

"Go directly to jail, do not collect two-hundred dollars." Danny snarked and phased into intangibility as the two eggs exploded into wads of purple goo. Instead of reverting to his normal phase, Danny switched to invisibility also, appearing behind Gear and with a hand inside the computer on his back. "Game over, Hero."

Phantom ignored the splitting pain in his head from his conscience.

Even as Gear tried to control his landing, Static reached out with his powers to a series of vertical metal beams, uprooting them and pulling them towards Phantom. "Stay away from my friend, dirtbag!"

Danny's eyes widened significantly as he realized those metal beams weren't just freestanding-they were _support_ beams! Without a second thought, Danny elongated his body into a mere spectral wisp and dodged the flying debris. He was already on his way even as a massive steel overhang started to give way…

Regardless of the teenage girl and eight-year old boy underneath it.

Even with an air speed of nearly two-hundred miles an hour, it would be close, but Danny beat the awning by a few microseconds. He swept the children off their feet as his intangibility flowed over them, too. Arriving on the other side, he set the kids down and gave them a once-over to make sure there wasn't any damage. Satisfied, he smiled down at them from where they were kneeling on the ground in front of him.

"You two okay?"

"Barbara! Thank God! Is Jim okay!"

Danny watched as a panicked woman, most likely their mother, ran over to the children, even as they gave him a hesitant smile. "Thank you."

It was the girl who said it, softly enough that he almost missed it. She had fiery red hair and brilliant blue eyes not so much unlike his normal ones. "No prob. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go teach some superheroes a lesson. Have a good day Ms…?"

"Mrs. Gordon," The woman said, bestowing wrenching hugs on both her children and then one on Danny himself. "Thank you so much, young man. I'm so glad this town has someone like you to-"

"Mrs. Gordon," Danny said, slightly flushed. "I appreciate the compliment, but I'm the bad guy here. Bank robbery and all that. If you'll excuse me now…?"

The Gothamite blinked in shock as the ghost teen stepped away from her to pick up a full bank bag and then marched over to Static, buried under the very metal beams he'd tried to stop Danny with. Looking into the Hero's eyes, he saw the impotent pain that he'd known all too well time and again.

He ignored it.

As stupid as he acted from time to time, he'd never been so impulsive as to put innocents in danger thoughtlessly. It made him angry that someone like this was allowed to be fly around picking fights with other humans while he'd been forced to stand against monsters that would crush these…these…_children_ like Styrofoam.

It made him more than mad.

It made him furious.

He might not have been as impulsive as Static, but he had his own brand of recklessness that was all too evident in his words to the African-American meta-human. "The next time you play hero, try to remember who you're protecting before you remember who you're fighting," Phantom advised.

Static just growled at him.

Danny shrugged and flew away before Gear could get his senses back together. He was already standing up and would see to the mess Static had gotten himself into. The gold was heavy, but his heart carried little of the weight he'd thought it would.

He'd robbed a bank, but saved two lives.

He really didn't know how to feel about either any more. Good…Evil, it was all just so confusing. He sighed and resolved to think more on who he was…later.

Right now, he had a few more towns to try and rob blind.

And…figure out what to do with a bag of gold bars.

Danny smacked his forehead in exasperation.

* * *

"You'll need to fill out these forms."

The man(?) in the deep purple robe set down a stack of paper in front of him and walked away without another word. Danny, as Phantom, raised an eyebrow at the lack of recognition, inflection, or anything that would hint at the man having a personality. Currently, his vote was on robots…but he hadn't ruled clones out either.

Especially with his recent personal experience.

Danny raised another eyebrow at the forms as his eyes traced over the words. The questions were…strange, but he supposed he should have expected that. There were, of course, the standard 'name, course selection, and bunk assignment portions,' but…

Known Nemeses?

Are there any current bounties on your head?

Have you been involved in any violent public conflicts in the month before attending this institution? If yes, where and when? Is an arrest warrant pending?

The questions got stranger from there and Danny had to dig through his memory to find answers. Regrettably, he had to take extra space to list the people who 'wanted to see him killed, dismembered, or die a gruesome death.'

And, come to think of it, Amity Park never _had_ rescinded that bounty on his head, even after the ghost invasion last year. He frowned, flipping through another few pages and finally down to his signature.

He paused and then, in his fastest, roughest script, signed _Danny Phantom_.

Another purple figure appeared as he set the pen down and looked over the mass of paperwork. Even though he (it?) gave no indication of it, Danny felt that he was distinctly non-pulsed at the fairly lengthy list of accomplishments.

The ghost teen didn't know whether to be proud or depressed by that fact.

"This way, Mr. Phantom."

The walk down the maze-like hallway was considerable as they passed through immense bunker-like doors, ID checkpoints, and a computer terminal hidden into the wall that took his retinal scan and logged it in the database. He was also presented with a thin band of gold and copper for his left wrist. His attendant had said something about a radio-emitter.

"This is Professor Chang, he will see to your needs."

Another, or the same, purple figure left him in a long hallway filled with every imaginable weapon he could recognize…and quite a few he didn't. There were guns, beam pistols, throwing stars, grenades, bazookas, and…was that a catapult?

"Ah, hello there, young man."

Danny returned his gaze to the stooped-over vaguely Asian man in the bulky white hazmat suit. Strange goggles were attached to the front of his face, looking weighted with technological oddities.

"Professor Chang," Danny greeted, his voice carefully neutral. The bizarre man gave off _all_ the wrong vibes to his finely tuned senses.

"Welcome to my armory," Chang said proudly, waving at the weapons. "This is the general gallery, weapons available to the student body at large during training simulations and missions. If you have any weapons on you currently, I'd be happy to store them in a private locker for you."

Danny frowned, mindful of the footlockers in his pockets. He'd decided to come ready for anything short of a full-scale war; to that point, he'd 'barrowed' the Fenton Crammer and a good amount of his family's weapons store.

"No thanks," Danny replied evenly.

Chang frowned, but his gaze relented as he took in the identification bracelet the teen was wearing. "Very well, you're registered as an 'A' class student and therefore have the privilege of keeping weapons in your room. If you class ever drops below a 'B' however, I expect you to present your weapons to me post haste."

Danny nodded grudgingly. Of course, his performance was directly related to his family and friend's survival, which meant there was no way in hell that would happen. "Do I get any other…privileges?"

Chang frowned further. "Weekend passes, access to computers, weapons' repair stations, and you can requisition rare titles from the general library, but you'll have to talk to Brother Blood about that."

Danny stared. "I'll…do that." Yeah, right. He'd rather stay as far away from 'Brother Blood' as humanly possible. Or ghostly.

"You'll need to go to your room for the night," Chang stated, looking at the ghost teen's paperwork. "That will be on level three. Ask one of the Acolytes if you need help finding it. I have work to do!"

Danny shrugged and took his leave of the strange man. He'd rather not be around Chang any more than necessary, either. He knew that he was on level one and if the Hive was underground. Proving that he still lacked the ability to properly thing things through, Danny phased through the floor without another thought.

Danny was immensely thankful that he stayed intangible when he emerged on the other side of the floor...ceiling, now. Beneath him was an immense area tilled in yellow hexagons, packed with people on benches to one side, and...

There were three, students, he supposed, running through laser fire, projectiles, and grasping metal tentacles. There were two large metal poles on the opposite sides, which obviously meant...

Danny blinked.

It was a training area! Like the one he, Tucker, and Sam had created in the basement lab in Fenton-Works. Albeit, this one was much more advanced than their homemade one. In fact, this one looked kind of...

Fun.

Danny frowned at the thought. He was here, grudgingly, to learn. There wasn't any time for fun if he wanted to succeed in his classes, keep his parents and friends alive, _and _not turn into the embodiment of all things evil. For the sake of the world in general, not just his family; that last one was very important.

Thanking whatever deity was looking out for him, Danny initiated full invisibility rather than the translucent-ness of intangibility and dodged laser-fire through to the next floor. This time he was more cautious and poked his head out...

into an empty hallway.

Danny rolled his eyes and phased into the visible and material spectrums and looked at his room assignment card Chang had given him. 306...309...313! Danny frowned at the number, although he and Johnny were on decent terms nowadays the whole 'trying to date/kill you sister'-thing still rankled with him a little. He shrugged and resolved to make the best of a bad situation. Hopefully, Johnny wouldn't show up and demand his number back.

The inside of the room was fairly standard and had all the luxury of a prison cell.

In short order he managed to use the Fenton Crammer to un-cram his luggage, pack away some clothing, and make sure all of his weapons were available and unaffected by the cramming.

The crammer itself when under lock and key in a Fenton-vault he'd brought with him for storing some of the especially nasty gear he'd brought along. It was one of his parent's few inventions that he put any amount of trust into and that was only because it had been special-built for a military contract.

It was Ecto-shielded, made of diamond-layered titanium, and had been show to resist anything short of a direct hit with a ballistic missile. The lock was DNA encoded to his fingerprint and given his...unique genetic profile, that was saying something.

That said, he still didn't know what his parents had been thinking when they tied twin nuclear power cells into the locking mechanism.

He decided not to ask.

With his luggage stored Danny did a sweep of the room with his ectoplasm. Surprisingly, it didn't react to anything except the normal wiring, which meant there weren't any electronic bugs in the walls, ceiling, or floor. He'd thought an institution of villainy would be more...sinister.

Deciding to forgo more paranoia for the evening, Danny paused at his bed.

He was still in enemy territory, but no one was watching...

The ghost teen shook his head. Even if the Headmistress knew his identity, there was the chance of another student dropping by. That meant he'd need to be cautious when taking human form.

He shrugged, and lay down on his bed.

After all, how hard could it be to sleep as a ghost?

* * *

The answer, as he found out, is that it was _very_ hard to sleep as a ghost.

In fact, he'd given up after lying there for two hours and pulled out a few textbooks that Hive had shipped ahead to prepare for classes and used the res of the night to study. Granted, eight hours of constant cramming (in the educational sense, not the Fenton one) he felt completely ready for anything the school could throw at him, but he also felt extraordinarily grumpy.

Grabbing his books, Danny stopped when he caught sight of the black trench coat that had been his father's attempt at a going away present. It was heavy, armored with ecto-reactive plates, bullet-resistant, and a host of other things that Danny couldn't bother to recite at the moment.

He'd worn it a few times to make his dad happy and gotten the surprise of his…well, not his life. More like the surprise of his week. The coat morphed _with_ him. He'd never had any of his clothes do that before…

Much like his jumpsuit, it inverted color spectrums too, becoming an almost phosphorescent white and the attached belt turning a solid black. It was a mystery exactly how it did that, but he'd decided to take it…just in case.

That, and he thought it made him look pretty cool.

He slipped on the trench coat and shivered as he felt it ectoplasm drain into it, bleaching away the color. He grinned and stepped out into the hallway, ready for anything.

Or so he thought.

* * *

He'd had many…preconceived notions(at least, that's what Sam would call them) about thieves, super-villains, and outlaws in general. Some of them were from personal experience…others were from the various news reports concerning Lex Luthor, The Joker, and even that Ebon character he'd seen in Dakota before he'd left.

_They_ were evil.

So far, he'd seen few of the evils that he'd expected.

Most of the students in the Hive were…just that, students. They wore costumes, were about his age, and carried around backpacks. If he didn't know any better, he'd think it was just Halloween at a normal school.

Then there was the way they'd greeted him.

He'd expected to be glared at. He'd _known_ there was going to be some animosity between the 'real' villains and himself. Except…there wasn't.

"Oh. My. God! You're Phantom aren't you! I'm such a big fan! Are you going to school here, now! I have all of your newspaper articles! I even kept the ones that called you a-_bleah-_hero! I always knew you were on the right side, though."

Danny stared.

She was obviously a student and was wearing some kind of strange armor and wing costume. Her eyes were glowing with low-level yellow light and she had an immense smile stretched across her face.

"Listen to me, though, babbling on and on like this. I know you must need to get to class, but…if you don't mind…could you…"

Danny stared at the notebook and pen blankly. Almost dumbly, his hand reached out and he gave her a large scrawl of a signature. He put a little flourish into it just for fun. She squealed excitedly and hugged the notebook to herself, running off.

Danny Phantom had just given his first autograph.

Throughout the day, he was amazed that it wasn't his last. Everyone seemed to want to shake his hand, compliment his new look (the jacket), or just say 'hi.' A disturbingly large number of them were female.

Judging from everything he'd experienced so far, there could be only one answer.

He was popular.

The idea was so alien that he hadn't even considered it, dismissing the possibility even as he stepped into Deception and Stealth 101. It was listed as a basic course and actually sounded interesting. Come to think of it, a lot of the courses did.

"Well, well, well…it looks like we have a new student today, class. Isn't that purr-fect!"

Danny's eyebrow twitched ominously.

The teacher was wearing a tight body-suit of either spandex or leather that left _nothing_ to the imagination. Actually, the word 'cat-suit' came to mind, seeing as her outfit came complete with ears and a tail. Her long, lean form was _lying_ on the teacher's desk giving him an almost lazy stare.

"I apologize for being late," Danny said stoically. "I don't know my way around the school yet." He felt the autographs were best left unmentioned.

"That's alright," The teacher slinked off the desk and paced up to him. "As you may or may not know, I'm Catwoman and you would be Mr...?"

"Phantom, Danny Phantom."

Catwoman's eyes glittered excitedly. "Ah, Mr. Phantom...our new celebrity. I was just telling the class how much I was looking forward to grading your summer assignments."

Danny nodded and pulled out two bank bags from his backpack. He'd left the one filled with gold bars in his room as that, as per the assignment's rules, hadn't been _successful_. "I left a stack or two of bills in each bag and in the bank's wrappers. I hope that qualifies as proof-of-theft."

Catwoman blinked and took the bags, pulling out the few thousand dollars that was inside. Her face, even through her mask, was obviously blank with surprise. Danny was taken by surprise as the rest of class stared vacantly at him along with their teacher.

"Class, read pages one through twenty as I speak with Mr. Phantom. I'll be back momentarily." Catwoman stated curtly as she motioned for Danny to follow her. There was a small office walled off from the lecture area that was nearly invisible due to the hexagonal tiles covering building surface.

As the door slid shut, Danny couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom.

"Well, I have to say I'm surprised," Catwoman stated, her speech still velvety and soft, but now carrying an undertone of seriousness. "I gave that assignment on late notice to force some of these slacker students to realize the futility and stupidity of robbing a bank. Evidently, though, you didn't read the introduction to your practical manual."

Danny blinked. "Practical manual? I only got the theory text for your class, Ms….uh, what exactly should I call you?"

"Just Catwoman," She stated absently as she absorbed the information. "Let me summarize the manual for you. Thieves, especially beginners, do not rob banks, museums, or mansions. We make our living off middle America, which grows fat and soft with their big screen TV's, multi-thousand dollar computers, and pricy cars. All three of these are easily liquidated."

"I'd wondered what I was going to do with those gold bars," Danny commented idly, stuck by an unusual moment of common sense. "I mean, I can't exactly buy a donut with one."

Catwoman blinked again. "Gold bars? You really do have a pair of brass balls, don't you kid? Why didn't you hand in one of those, too? I would have given extra credit."

Phantom gaped at the course language as his teacher's grin grew to canary-eating proportions. "Sorry, I just didn't think you'd want me to report a failure."

"Failure," Catwoman said, curiosity spiked. "I wouldn't call a robbery that got you gold a failure."

"You _did_ say we weren't supposed to fight superheroes, though."

Salina Kyle kept her face straight, even behind her mask. To not only have the balls to rob a bank, but succeed in spite of superhero intervention? "Which super tried to stop you?"

Danny frowned, drawing up the rather brutal throw-down he had back in Dakota. "Static and Gear, I think. They didn't seem very experienced, though, and put a lot of people in danger with how they used their powers recklessly."

Memories of similar, but less serious, events played out before his mind's eye. Mentally, he swore to himself that he would hold himself to a higher standard from now on. To be more careful with his powers, more aware of his surroundings.

Catwoman smiled even larger. "Well, I have to ask, how did you manage to pull off those heists."

"Overshadowing," Danny explained, only to be met with incomprehension. He racked his brain for a moment, coming up with a different term. "Think of it like a short-term possession. I heard someone once describe it as suppressing someone's mind and…taking control of their body. I really don't like to think of it that way, though."

It made him seem more like Vlad and his other self than he was really comfortable with.

"Possession," Catwoman said and he noted a certain…distaste for the ability in her tone. "Interesting. Well, if you can manage a bank robbery, without anyone noticing, you certain don't belong in a 100-level course. I'll give you credit for it, of course, but you'll need to attend the…"

Phantom watched as the teacher (it still felt strange to refer to one of Gotham's most famous rogue's gallery members as his teacher) shuffled through a stack of forms, looking for something. She smiled widely again as she pulled out a specific sheet.

"Attend this lecture/lab. It's a 300-level technologies course call Infiltration and Interrogation Gear. I think the Toyman is in charge of that class. Try to make it back next semester for my 300-level Terrain and Environment Awareness class." Danny's attention spiked on the mention of Catwoman's other course. Now _that_ sounded like something he needed to take.

After months of Lancer, he knew a dismissal when he heard one.

Anyway, next class was…he took out his schedule 'Economics of Crime.'

Great. Idly, he wondered if he'd meet another legendary villain in _that_ class.

* * *

Peace Out-Slayer Anderson!


	3. Black Cats with Pink Fur

Slayer Anderson

Hive Minded III

A Teen Titans/Danny Phantom Crossover Fanfiction

10/14/09

* * *

Chapter 3-Black Cats with Pink Fur

* * *

"Initiation?"

The word came out of his mouth in dumb surprise. He'd never considered that there would be yet _another_ complication even _after_ joining the HIVE. Besides, after one month of classes, he'd thought the worst, what there was of it, was over.

Beyond the culture shock of realizing he'd become a champion of villainy without realizing, or desiring it, there had been the difficulty of his classes. It was both frightening and liberating to discover that the classes were _fun_. They were everything he'd ever asked from school, but never gotten. Add to that the fact he was Phantom 24/7 nowadays…he was working far beyond what he'd ever considered possible when he was being Amity Park's hero.

Which…if he was honest, scared him more than anything.

Before his transformation into Phantom, he'd never taken school seriously. It wasn't as if he'd blown it off, but…he'd been a normal teenager. Work just hard enough to pass and all that. Now that he actually had time to learn, after being deprived of any free time for so long…

He'd grown to resent Amity Park.

He'd never really even had the choice of living a normal life or becoming what he was, but now that he was among his own…_kind_, for lack of a better word. It might have been a perverted, strange, bizarre kind of normalcy, but he felt more at home in the HIVE than he had in the last two years in Amity Park.

"Yeah, Initiation, Snot-Breath!"

His mind flinched back to the present, looking on in horror as a midget in green and black and a hairy giant as big as Skulker pulled out a ballerina dress and a unicycle.

"You want me to wear that?" Danny asked, his trigger finger twitching for an ecto-gun. Yes, this would teach him to answer the door. After all, he was in a school for people who made a living out of ambushing and robbing.

"Yup," Mammoth said, smiling as maliciously as someone of his IQ could manage. Danny frowned and took a moment to consider.

Then, he gave in and grabbed the Fenton Sprayer he'd kept by the door for just such occasions, raised it, and fired in the space of two seconds. The fluid motion caught both trainees off guard as they found themselves glued to the opposite wall in green sludge. Phantom took a moment to pick up the pink monstrosity and slap it onto the two new wall hangings.

He was very satisfied when it stuck to the excess glue-like substance, leaving the two appearing to be wearing the same dress. "Try it again and I'll make you dance Swan Lake in the cafeteria."

Mammoth and Gizmo each gave him a smoldering glare.

If anything, the incident with the two other students, who he'd sense learned were seniors, had made him more popular. Evidently, the two were part of a trio which were eligible for graduation in just a few months. The third of the group was named Jinx, and was female, but preferred to keep a lower profile.

Given how much flack those two were giving him for doing that to them, he completely understood her decision. Thankfully, the teachers here didn't have much of a problem with student-on-student violence unless it either disrupted class or threatened to destroy any major part of the school itself.

Danny found that aspect of the HIVE refreshing, too.

He was actually able to _defend_ himself from bullies!

"Mr. Fenton, may I see you after class?"

Danny twitched…that was another part of the HIVE that he was still getting used to. Namely, Brother Blood. The man was creepier than Vlad, and even _he_ found that hard to believe, and he had class with the man every other day!

"Yes Sir."

That was another thing, Brother Blood demanded respect, and got it in almost every case. When he didn't get it, things tended to _happen_ to those students. Bad Things. Still, no matter how obviously sinister the man was, he was equally brilliant.

Vlad was just creepy.

And obsessed with his mother.

That was a rather large black mark against him.

Brother Blood hadn't actually _done_ anything to threatened him, his family, or his friends. Granted, he was _suspected_ of doing some fairly…nasty things to some of his less reputable classmates, but…

Well, he was in a school full of villains-in-training, wasn't he?

It didn't _really_ matter if the man had to break some bones and bruise some flesh to get some respect every now and then…

Did it?

As the rest of the class filed out slowly, Danny waited patiently for Blood at his desk. Finally, the austere-looking man turned to Phantom and smiled grandfatherly.

"Well, Mr. Phantom, I'd first like to commend you on your efforts in my Abnormal Psychology and Torment class. You've progressed through the course-work faster than I'd expected any first-year to." Danny mentally thanked his sister for drumming the subject into him so well.

"But," Blood frowned. "You're not doing as well in my Religious Studies and Daemonology Theory. Given your…unique background, it's understandable, but I'm going to need you to seek outside assistance to keep you grade up."

Danny frowned. If he was reading the man right, it was a slight on his ability to perform independently as well as a offer of aid. "What would you suggest, sir?"

"A tutor. I believe…yes, there was a student last year who scored phenomenally well. You'll be free to choose someone else, but I personally recommend her. Here is her room number. I expect to see your grades improve."

Danny took the offered slip of paper and didn't need to inquire as to the unsaid 'or else.' "Yes sir. This is my last class today, so I'll get right on it."

* * *

As his student left, Brother Blood's frown deepened considerably. Phantom was a wrench in his plans; one that would need to be dealt with eventually. Until that time came, he would see if he could convert the child with more mundane methods of persuasion.

After all, mind control and brainwashing, while useful, weren't in the least bit subtle. Phantoms brain chemistry and unique physiology voided the effectiveness of drugs and gases and his psychic powers seemed to have little to no effect either.

Ah well, no one ever said anything truly worth the effort was easy to obtain.

* * *

He knocked lightly and the door opened almost instantaneously.

What he saw was not, in a million years, what he would have expected.

She was approximately his own age, but possessed of an almost pixie-like figure topped by pink hair and pink cat-like eyes. Her clothing was odd shades of blue/purple and black that merely added to the strange fey-like look of her appearance. Her movements were altogether stranger; she was something between a dancer and a savage fighter that embodied a grace he'd only seen in predatory cats about to pounce.

Above all, though, she was dangerous.

Danny _really_ hoped that was why he couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Phantom, eh?" She asked, despite obviously already knowing who he was. "Well, isn't this a surprise. Come to offer an apology for embarrassing my teammates?"

The last month's worth of controlling his tongue showed off in the fact that he didn't yell with surprise. Still, he knew the identity of his tutor now. "I never occurred to me," Danny said honestly. "When someone comes to my door suggesting I parade around in a tutu they deserve what they get."

Jinx shrugged, as if the subject didn't truly matter to her…and maybe it didn't.

"Then why are you here, spook?"

Danny didn't take the comment as an insult, like she had obviously meant it. After having such barbs thrown at him back in Amity, it was little more than an annoyance. "I need tutoring in Religious Studies and Daemonology Theory. Brother Blood suggested you."

Jinx blinked at the bluntness of the proposal, but shrugged again. "So? While I don't particularly care _that_ much about my teammates, you did embarrass them rather badly."

Danny couldn't figure out, for the life (or afterlife) of him, why she seemed thrilled by the concept. Still, she was obviously hinting at some form of compensation. "What do you want? I can pay if you'd like."

The pinkette licked her lips and tapped her chin for a moment as she appraised him, before turning and allowing him to come into her room. As the door slid shut behind him, the first thing that hit Phantom was the scent. Deep lavender and splashes of spicy cinnamon. The light was cut low and caused unusual shadows to play across the clashing hot pink and navy blue décor.

It reminded him, very vaguely, of Sam's room.

However, the goth's room was more…morose. Jinx's seemed almost…viciously happy as it laughed in the face of all that was grim and dark.

Danny shook his head to clear the incense from it. Now was not the time to be waxing poetic. He watched as Jinx rummaged through her closet and pulled out a blouse and skirt in her trademark black and purple.

"No."

Jinx pouted childishly. "And what makes you think I'll ask you to put this on?"

Danny glared coldly at the pinkette.

Jinx shrugged again and put the dress down on her bed. "You did ruin the initiation dress with that green goo, so you'll have to wear one of mine. You should feel honored; I never loan out my clothes."

Danny's white eyebrow twitched ominously. "How about money? Do you need help in another class? _Any_thing besides dressing in drag?"

Jinx raised her own pink eyebrow in challenge. "If you're that opposed to public humiliation…I guess we can compromise. You wear the dress while I tutor you in the safety of your own room. No…witnesses, just you and me. Just a little...private humiliation."

"Somehow I get the feeling that would be worse," Danny stated evenly.

"Suit yourself," Jinx snorted. "_I'm_ not the one that needs help. Why don't you go find one of those pathetic hero-worshipers that go all googly-eyed when you walk by? I'm sure they'd be willing to help, if they can form a coherent sentence in your presence."

Phantom frowned. She was right, sadly enough. Hero-worship was ego-boosting, but offered very few actual rewards. Jinx was probably his best bet for any actual help and the rest of her graduating class either hated him or wasn't the kind of person he'd go near without heavy weaponry, let alone see on a regular basis.

"Give me the dress," Danny said darkly.

Jinx's ensuing grin didn't help the situation _at all_.

* * *

"I don't get it Jinx, why are you helping that scum-buffer!"

Gizmo's complaint fell on deaf ears as Jinx continued her careful maintenance of her pink 'horns' of hair. They were part of her signature look and had to be scrupulously perfect. Finally, she turned from her personal corner of their team's gear-up room and stared down the diminutive genius.

Gizmo almost flinched under the intensity of her cattish eyes.

"You haven't been watching Phantom at all, have you?"

Gizmo shrugged off the derogatory tone effortlessly. "What's there to watch! That white-haired weirdo doesn't do anything, but study, study, study!"

"Exactly," Jinx smirked.

Mammoth cocked his head curiously between bites of his sandwich. It wasn't really his place to decide what the team was going to do (he just got them through whatever _obstacles_ they found in their way), as such, he'd agree with whoever won the argument, even if he did think Phantom was a jerk. They _had_ been following tradition after all.

"Huh?" Gizmo asked intelligently.

"He's alone!" Jinx cried in frustration, slapping Gizmo's bald head. "No friend! He isn't even looking for teammates! Have you even heard of some of the things he's done!"

"That snot for brains spook ain't nothing!" Gizmo defended. "All that mess is just rumors!"

"He's here, isn't he?" Jinx asked, stopping Gizmo cold. "Since when has the Headmistress bought into rumors, no matter how grand they are?"

The midget scowled, but remained silent.

"Say, he's done a quarter of the things they say he has," Jinx theorized. "There's proof, though, that he fought Pariah Dark. That's the _Ghost King_, in case you didn't know! That alone says that he's powerful!"

"Then there's the fact that no one has ever figured out what he's up to in that stupid little city he almost took over! They practically worship him over there!"

"That still doesn't explain why you're helping him," Gizmo pointed out.

Jinx slapped her forehead in irritation.

"Gizmo, we're a good team, right?" Jinx asked, receiving a nod in reply. "If we had Phantom, we'd be a great team."

Outrage bubbling on his miniscule features, Jinx held up a hand.

"Or…someone else decides to partner up with him," The genius's anger soured as he considered the point. "He's either a threat or the best opportunity we've seen in a long time."

"Fine," Gizmo spat. "If the nerf-jammer passes his exams at the end of the year, he can try out."

Jinx grinned widely.

* * *

Daniel Fenton sighed.

It felt strange to be human again after two solid weeks of ghost-hood. He'd decided to make use of one of his weekend passes and catch a movie, get some non-cafeteria food, and try and be norm…_human_ normal for a little while. In that time, he'd discovered something profoundly earth-shaking…

Normal was boring.

Sure, it felt good to have a real stomach to digest food (you really don't want to know what ghosts had) for the first time in three weeks, but his body felt heavy, too hot, and weak. It was disturbing that he'd consider his human half debilitating. He sighed as he slid another coin into the pay phone and pressed a long series of digits.

_Ring…Ring-_

_Click!_ "Fenton residence, who may I ask is calling?"

"Jazz," Danny asked, despite already knowing it was her. "It's Danny. What's up?"

A pause. "Hi Danny, uh…how are you?"

Danny blinked. "Fine. School's…pretty good actually."

"Well, I'd hope so, since you left home to move across country just to go there."

Danny rubbed his black hair awkwardly. "Jazz, I just called to say hi, I really don't want to fight. Are you doing alright?"

Jazz sighed. "Sorry. I'm fine. I just…miss my little brother, I guess. Amity Park isn't the same without you Danny."

"I sure hope not," Danny chuckled wryly. "If anything, I'd think there'd be less ghosts without me there to rile them up."

There was an awkward silence. "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself Danny. You were doing good things. What classes are you taking?"

Danny recognized the rather blatant attempt at changing the subject, but let it pass. "Well, Psychology (Abnormal Psychology and Torment) for one…Religious Studies (And Deamonology Theory), Metal Shop (Infiltration and Interrogation Gear), and…uh…"

_How were you supposed to translate 'Secret Base Development and Construction' into a normal course?_ With a flash of insight, Danny added, "And Geography!"

Jazz hummed thoughtfully over the phone. "Well, I'm glad to hear you're taking Psychology, at least. That seems like a light load, though. I'd think they'd want you to take more hours than that."

Danny nodded out of habit, stopping himself when he realized she couldn't see him over the phone. "Well, those were just electives. I've got a social studies (History of Villainy), a math (Engineering the Death Ray), an English (Information Gathering: Know Thy Enemy), and science (Particle Physics)."

Jazz whistled lowly, impressed despite herself. "And you're handling that okay? It seems like a lot for a first year student."

"The teachers are really great," Danny replied, surprising himself by the fact that it was _true_…at least, as long as you didn't get on their bad side. "Although, I am getting tutored in Religious Studies."

"Really, who's your tutor?"

"Uh…" Danny stalled. "We haven't had a session yet. She just came recommended by the teacher."

"Oh," Jazz stated neutrally. "Well, Mom and Dad aren't here right now. Ever since…Inviso-bill left town, they've been doing a lot of contract work securing houses against ghost attacks."

"Oh," Danny echoed. "Well, tell them I called."

"I will, bye."

"Bye."

The suddenly guilt-ridden teen sighed deeply as he hung up the phone. He shook his head and walked into the nearest alleyway, transforming once he was out of sight. The familiar weightlessness and chill were comforting to him as he flew, invisibly back to the HIVE.

His science homework would push those thoughts away well enough.

* * *

On the other side of the continent, Jasmine Fenton quirked an eyebrow as she put the phone down. "Metal Shop," She asked herself disbelievingly, "You think you know someone."

A block away from the other side of the continent, two other people were having their own, decidedly more heated, conversation.

"Tucker, for the last time, this isn't about me being jealous, paranoid, or a scorned lover…which, by the way, I _will_ get you back for." Sam threatened angrily.

Tucker chuckled nervously from his place in front of his computer. "Sorry Sam, but his is borderline obsession. Danny told us where he was going, why he was leaving Amity Park, and we should respect his wishes."

Sam growled lightly. "It…doesn't strike you as…I don't know, weird or anything! That, one day, Danny's hanging out with us and the next he's sick of his hometown and leaves…_just like that_! Something stinks, Tuck, I just don't know what."

Tucker sighed. "Look, I've done a background check on this HIVE academy place and its all legit. Accredited High School and University classes, the best and brightest, they even have those too-corny-to-be-fake school mottos: 'Busy as a hive of bees.' Do you really think any self-respecting ghost would hide behind _that_?"

Sam frowned as Tucker continued.

"I don't even think _Vlad_ is that desperate to get Danny. Heck, he'd probably try cloning him first!" Tucker laughed at his own joke. After all, Danny would tell them if something like _that_ happened.

"Ha, ha," Sam deadpanned, anger flushing out of her system as she collapsed onto the couch. "I just…do you think we drove Danny away? He had to save us just as much as the rest of Amity Park."

"And we saved his but right back!" Tucker corrected. "We're friends, Sam, and friends don't drive each other away unless they're trying to protect each other from a super-evil life-threatening group of sinister fiends."

"Tucker," Sam pleaded. "Stop with the jokes, please. I think that one might have permanently damaged my sense of humor. So, what, we just let Danny do what he wants?"

"Well…yeah," Tucker shrugged. "I mean, we can't _force_ him to stick around and get shot at by his parents, the Guys In White, every ghost-hunter that blows into town, _and_ his arch nemesis, but that doesn't mean we can't give him an ear-full when he comes back for vacation. I can't believe he hasn't called yet!"

Sam sighed. "Fine, you win, Tuck. I still feel like there's something we should be doing, though…"

Tucker rubbed his chin as he probed the recesses of his mind for here-to-forgotten world-ending emergencies, spectral troublemakers on the loose, or over-due library books. As he looked out the window, though, his thought-process was derailed.

"Sam, is a ghost sense communicable?"

The goth blinked. "No. Why?"

"'Cause we've got a serious ecto-dragon problem outside and it _would _explain the bad mojo you've been feeling all day," Tucker explained as he watched a red-clothed figure on a flying surfboard enter the fray.

"Oh," Sam nodded, then blinked.

"_WHAT_!"

* * *

Vlad Plasmius was…concerned.

Not panicky. Just concerned. Maybe a little anxious, even. Young Daniel had been absent from Amity Park for quite a few weeks now, having transferred to some manner of boarding school. He would have noticed sooner, save for the fact that the ghost boy had done a marvelous job destroying his laboratory, all the semi-viable clones, and turning the semi-stable female clone to his side of their little game.

In short, he'd been distracted.

It was a forgivable, if damning lapse in concentration. After the initial cleanup had been accomplished, he'd foolishly thought to expend resources on 'Danni' rather than hunt for the original as he should have.

Another blunder.

Then…there was the matter of exactly _what_ school the boy had gone to. Had he even a name to go on he could have maneuvered his way into a guest lecturing position or, if time allowed, a teaching position! He'd have all the time in the world to wear down Daniel's childish rebellion.

But, despite his exhaustive research, he _did not_ have a name.

Which meant all manner of things.

But, mostly, it meant that _someone else_ was interested in _his_ little badger! Someone had managed to recruit Daniel, someone with resources, capital, and a very effective agency to cover his/her/their operation.

It could be that he was jumping to conclusions, true.

He _was_ only…well, he was at least _part_ human. He could have overlooked something. He could have missed some manner of clue, but…

Daniel's little friends didn't talk about the school, its location, Daniel's well-being, or anything relating to the ghost child much at all. Which, to him, meant that there had been some kind of break in their friendship dynamic.

Or…he needed more spy cameras.

His family, especially Jasmine, seemed to have little to say on the matter either, which was extremely odd as well. Jack, idiot that he was, could be counted on to spill information of any kind when bribed with fudge. Maddie…

Ah, Maddie…

He shook himself roughly; it was not the time! Maddie, from what he _could_ glean, only knew that the school had a reputation as an 'Academy for Extraordinary Young People.' Quite frankly, if he didn't know any better…

Vlad's gaze narrowed, threatening to burn a hole in the distance.

He'd say it stank of mind control. Or…at least some low level brainwashing.

"Hmm…" The half-ghost rumbled angrily. "I need a plan…something that will get young Daniel's attention. Something which will force him to reappear to save Amity Park. Even if he's being held against his will…he would brave the Ghost King's Army as many times as it took to come to his friends' aid."

Vlad frowned and sighed. "It _is_ one of his more endearing qualities."

But _what!_

"Something big," Plasmius muttered to himself. "Something…flashy. Skulker…no, not dramatic enough. Ember…even Daniel's friends could deal with her. I need something new. Something that will cause him to worry…"

Irritation mounting, Vlad set down to peruse Skulker's reports of the goings-on in the Ghost Zone. Walker being paranoid…Wulf escaped _again_…the Observants setting a trial…

Plasmius blinked.

Those anti-interventionist zealots were actually involving themselves in something! This he'd have to see…Vortex…Weather Control…Hmmm.

The idea had merit.

A shame the ghost's justice system was just as slow as the human's. It would be months before he could raid the Observants keep. He'd have to wait until then, as many of the holding cells were secured by Clockwork, a ghost that even _he _didn't want to cross without _good_ reason. Besides, he could always amuse himself with Daniel's little friends in the mean time.

Giving Prince Aragon his amulet back would ensure an evening's worth of entertainment. Grinning, Vlad flipped a few channels on his spy network and tuned in for another afternoon of prime-time programming.

Sadly, the dragon wouldn't come close to challenging Daniel's friends and his own pawn-Valerie Gray, but it would at least kept them on their toes and distracted from any attempts on the youngest Fenton by themselves.

Because…if Daniel _was_ being held against his will, earning his gratitude would be…interesting, if nothing else.

* * *

Okay, folks, another chapter down...mainly because my college is on fall break and I don't really have a life.

_**READ MY AUTHOR'S NOTES! I DON'T WRITE THEM FOR MY OWN HEALTH! THESE ARE TO INFORM YOU OF OUT-OF-PLOT DEVELOPMENTS!**_

Now, a few things before I cover reviews: Danny and Cross Dressing. I am neither a proponent, nor a critic of cross-dressers. I've never put on a dress in my life so I can't really put in my two cents. Regardless, I think having Danny cross-dress is a fun way to demean his character and put him off his game. Jinx knows this and is using it to her advantage. There are other reasons, which will be covered in the next chapter.

Bottom Line: **This is my story. Flame me if you feel its necessary. I'm taking a precaution and moving this story up to M Rating in preparation for some serious allusions about sexual behavior. That, and, it will get a little darker next chapter. Why? Because that's the tone I want to set.**

Because Danny became so isolationist, his friends don't know about Dani. The only people who know about her are Danny and Vlad. There are reasons behind this and they will become apparent later in the story.

I've got the plot pretty much mapped out. Vlad, Sam, Tucker, Jazz...most of the Amity Park crew will _not _be playing a big role in the story. Part of the reason is that one of the main reasons behind this story is to see Danny grow as a person, a hero, and a ghost. Part of that initiative was to change his environment by sending him to HIVE in the first place and acknowledge the crossover universe.

This is one of the reasons I'm doing cameos. You'll see a lot of DC Heroes and villains in this story simply due to my personal desire to use them. For those of you who really like seeing Danny, Sam, and Tuck run around like the Scooby Doo Gang (yes, Wulf would be the dog), this may not be the fic for you. I don't want to discourage you from reading the story, but I'm upfront about what I plan to do with the story.

* * *

Slayer-Out!


	4. Would You Believe it's A Kilt?

Slayer Anderson

HIVE Minded

A Danny Phantom/Teen Titans Crossover Fanfiction.

10/17/09

* * *

Chapter 4-Would You Believe it's A Kilt?

Or

Reconstituted Beliefs

* * *

*A/N: Since I'm transplanting Danny Phantom into the DC Universe, I'm using their phasing rules. People who have the ability to move through different types of matter without affecting or being affected by them (phasing), cannot phase through significantly dense material.

I.E.-The Martian Man Hunter can't phase through Superman because he's simply too dense. His muscle, bone, and tissue layers are so compact that there's simply no _room_ for any other matter to move through it.

* * *

Jinx felt she had every right to be upset.

Phantom was, honestly, nothing like she'd expected. Sure, he was gruff and defensive when you met him, but…

There was some…chill around him, both literal and figurative, that seemed to ward off all but the most determined. She routinely had lunch with someone so childish he couldn't even be bothered to use _real_ insults. Phantom's…off-putting nature was barely an annoyance.

He had answered the door in the dress, which had been the first shock of the evening. She'd expected to have to force him into the skirt and blouse using a considerable amount of threat and bluff. Instead, he had been oddly compliant, almost as if he was used to following the most inane of orders under duress.

And her request was certainly inane.

Part of it was petty revenge. Gizmo and Mammoth weren't…her _friends_, per say, but they were comrades, at least. They were annoying, childish, and violent. Still, they had her back during a mission and there was a lot to be said for that.

Another part of her found Phantom somewhat handsome. In the unobtainable sense, of course. Hell, Phantom was a legend in the making…she'd never had a chance with him.

The final part was something more complex, harder to describe. There was something about seeing Phantom in _her_ clothing, unwillingly, that gave her a sense of power. A sense of…control. Phantom could take her in an all-out fight. He was probably one of the few in the Academy that could, excluding the faculty and staff. To have him, here, now, under her authority…

It was intoxicating.

Well, it should have been.

Instead, it was irritating. Not in the same way as Gizmo and Mammoth, to be sure, but more in the way of having a perfectly good plan go perfectly awry. She was upset because, when he answered the door, he was…

He looked _good_.

No, more than that, he looked nearly _perfect_.

It was infuriating to have him look so natural in something that was supposed to mock him. It would have worked on anyone else, she was sure, but not him. His frame was thin, belying its strength to the point of being very nearly feminine. His face was still boyishly soft and his hair was wild enough to be mistaken for a slightly masculine girl. Even his legs, which should have been hairy to the point of embarrassment were visually clean of all follicles.

She doubted _her_ legs were that smooth!

"You didn't have to shave your legs," Jinx deadpanned, her voice dripping with curt sarcasm.

Danny blinked, looked down, and blushed.

Jinx had to restrain herself from physically throttling the ghost teen while she gaped in open-mouthed astonishment. He was…_cute._ He was cute in a way that guys couldn't and shouldn't _be cute_.

"Just…come inside." The urgent whisper and beckoning pulled Jinx out of the deserted hallway and into Phantom's room. She supposed he had every right to be nervous…wearing her clothes and all.

Her first impression of Phantom's room, though, broke every notion she had about his calm, restrained demeanor. The standard bunk room had hooks and hangers stuck into every available inch of the wall, which, in turn, held guns.

Well, they weren't conventional guns, to be sure.

All of them were sleek, over-sized firearms with immense power-packs and stylized green barrels that she could put her arm into. Along with the recognizable weapons, several were…bizarre. In fact, was that a…

"Boo-merang."

"Huh?" Jinx asked intelligently.

"It's called a Boo-merang." Danny reiterated. "It will find any ghost as long as you can give it a name. I'm not really even sure why I brought it."

"That's…just stupid," Jinx replied in a shocked tone of voice. "I mean, what kind of idiot would…"

"Don't ask," Danny sighed. "Are we going to study or not?"

"Right after you explain why you have enough fire power to level a third world nation in your room," Jinx stipulated. "And why you decided to shave your legs."

"I…died," Danny started, seeing this explanation as easier and less complicated than the truth. "When I was fourteen. I'm maturing in most ways normally, but things I didn't have when I died can't develop. Like leg hair for instance."

Jinx cocked her head and stared in confusion at the teen. Most people would feel awkward about the subject matter, but Jinx was intensely interested. After all, how often did you have a living, breath…cold and dead example of the afterlife. "How did you die?"

"Lab accident," Danny dodged and ignored the pinkette's frown. "I need a tutor in Religious Studies, are you going to help me or not?"

Jinx shrugged, very weirded out by the fact that Phantom was…almost _pouting_ at her. She dropped her backpack on the small counter that took up one side of the room, noting that it didn't have any personal items on it. "Fine. What are you having problems with?"

"Converting Runic and Alchemic formulae," Danny started, masking his irritation at Jinx's not-so-subtle probes into his things. "I just don't get how quickly aether dissipates."

"Oh, that's simple," Jinx nodded and pulled out her old notes on the subject. "Here's a few of my projects from last year. You can see how there's a charge radius for most spells…"

Danny nodded, suddenly entranced by Jinx's explanation.

It was bizarre, in retrospect, that it ever happened. They had completely different background, educations, and temperaments. To Phantom, life was something to be taken seriously-even his fun. At least, that was what most of his friends knew him as. Superficially, he was the picturesque congenial teen, if a bit rebellious. He supposed a bit of Jazz had rubbed off on him in that way; he had a little-known tendency to take situations, even small ones, with all the drama of near-death experiences.

To be fair, many recent occurrences qualified under that heading.

Jinx was an orphan, with no known family. She was deathly serious in almost ever respect, but seemed to be secretly laughing at the word-as if there was some big joke that only she got. The pinkette _loved_ mischief and took almost nothing at face value, delighting in digging through other peoples' dirty laundry to get to the bottom of things.

When those skeletons in the closet came to light, though, _she_ was far away from the explosion of public opinion. Before she'd been picked up by Dark Way Preparatory Academy, she'd made a habit of frequenting the file cabinets of politicians, businessmen, and city officials and either using them as blackmail or leaking them to the press.

And that was what she did for _fun_.

The ledger of crimes that she'd committed, but had never been pinned on her, could fill the room they were now standing in. Kidnapping, bribery, extortion, grand theft auto, breaking and entering, blackmail, and…in one rather unique instance, grave-robbing.

Try as he might, Danny couldn't pry _that_ story out of her.

Still, the weekly meetings turned into bi-weekly study sessions quickly and Danny was shocked to realize that Jinx, one of the most amoral people he'd ever met, was becoming his _friend._ They got along well, amazingly well, in many cases. He laughed at her rather obscene jokes, and she found many of his stories from home immensely amusing.

Then, two months after they'd had their first study meet, everything changed when he was handed an individual project just prior to Thanksgiving break.

* * *

It was strange being so far away from the HIVE's predictable hallways. The yellow hexagons had become familiar in a way that he couldn't account for, but it was also refreshing to be going near Amity Park again. The fall term would be ending soon, and he'd been assigned a final project before he could return home for a two-week break during the Thanksgiving holidays.

So, he was on his way to New York and away from the stress of hiding his identity as a hero among…well, he couldn't rightly call _everyone_ in the HIVE his enemies. Sure, Brother Blood was creepy and Professor Chang just irritated him in a way he couldn't explain, but…

He was hanging out with a few of them now, getting to know them.

Even the extremely odd Kid Wykkid was pretty friendly after you got to know him. Angel, once you got past her blind fan-worship of Phantom was almost tolerable. Gizmo and Mammoth…well, they hadn't managed to kill each other yet.

And he supposed _that_ could be considered positive.

Though, his blood still boiled whenever he saw the Headmistress, which none of his classmates really understood, and he wasn't about to explain it to any of them. He appeared to be in her good…_very_ good graces, which meant he had been given a high-profile theft assignment at a branch of the famous STAR labs.

Danny could already feel his headache building.

The place was any thief's worst nightmare. Invisible laser grids, pressure pads, heat sensors, super-dense alloys that he might not be able to phase through, and some rather…arcane components that proved they'd seen their fair share of supernatural thieves before.

He'd never encountered a multi-phasic disrupter, but he wasn't in any hurry to.

The hardest obstacles was the checkpoints. There were ten checkpoints to clear the inner-sanctum of the labs, where the components he was looking for were held. Evidently, they'd also had difficulties with shape-shifters before, because security mandated a person-to-person identification by blood, retina scan, and verbal questioning.

There was even one hallway that he was fairly sure was a cleverly disguised CAT Scan to read and identify brain wave patterns. Other hallways might be X-rays! To top it off, the Lab was sealed inside of a bunker made of super-dense material twenty feet deep on the top, bottom, and each side. Of course, that was only if you could get past the two-hundred feet of bedrock and clay soil between it and the surface.

The water, power, and air all ran on closed systems and were monitored twenty-four-seven by two different stations. They had backup generators and backups for those. Each section was designed to be able to seal off and work independently in case of emergency. The partitions were capable of resisting small nuclear blasts.

The only way HIVE had even managed to steal _this_ much of their security plans was by ripping it from the minds of ten different architects and piecing together the specifics from a tipster on the inside. That same tipster was being tried for treason currently and they needed to make a move before the specifics of _which_ national secrets he'd leaked were given over to the proper authorities and the security plans changed.

Danny had been in human form, in a flop house apartment, in New York city for three days. He'd slept very little in that time and exhausted resource after resource. The remains of two-hundred and six infiltration plans lay in the trash can, burned to ash by ecto-fire. No incriminating evidence, at least.

Finally, though, he could admit it.

"I'm stumped."

The words brought both tremendous relief and excruciating guilt. "There's just no way it can be done," he went on, dismissing the fact that he was talking to himself. "I've thought about bombs, distractions, overshadowing, phasing, and even duplication.'

Not that he was even sure _that_ strategy would work, given that he still couldn't reliably duplicate himself. Which was an annoyance unto itself…

Hell, he'd thought of trying everything except asking nicely.

With that though, his head hit the desk in front of him…finally exhausted from taxing his mental faculties to the brink of collapse. Then, he blinked. It was as if the coarse grains of the cool wood an inch from his eyes were telling him something. Something…

His attention focused on a knot in the wood…knot…hole…hole in the…

Danny sat up in his seat suddenly, his eyes wide as a plan spontaneously formed inside his mind. He _could_ do this! He could do this easy! Now…all he needed to do was get into Amity Park without anyone noticing.

And…hope that Frostbite would let him borrow the infi-map again.

* * *

Silas Stone was a man not many understood.

One of the few who could boast such was his dear wife, Elinore Stone. Their marriage had been far from ideal, but they'd fought through each trial as they'd come and they were still together. The latest trial, however, was the most difficult…and the least expected.

"Victor, I really don't understand you sometimes. Football, basketball, these sports are dangerous. I would much rather you apply yourself to your school work."

"You got one thing right, old man! You don't understand me! Numbers are your game! Let me have mine!"

Victor Stone, their teenage son, was a genius. His parents had guaranteed his impressive intellect through artificial means, turning him into a perfect specimen of humanity at its prime. He could run faster, hit harder, and jump higher than almost anyone else. It was a surprise, though, that these physical traits were a pale second to his mental abilities.

Save for the fact that he cared little for what his mind could accomplish.

Elinore looked on in dismay as her husband and son fought another battle in an ongoing war fueled by testosterone and stubbornness. "Victor, Silas, can we put this argument aside for dinner, at least?"

Silas grunted his assent, while Victor stood from the table.

"I'm done, thanks mom."

Silence greeted his declaration as the youngest Stone left the kitchen, then the house. Silas scowled as he scooped another spoonful of stew into his mouth.

"Probably going to hang out with that ruffian friend of his," The patriarch stated gruffly. "Makes me wonder why I work so hard to put food on that boy's plate if he isn't even going to eat it."

"Silas, dear," Elinore started. "Victor will come around. You know this is just a phase. In the meantime, I'd like to head to the lab after you're done. If you remember, the portal is almost done."

Silas nodded to his wife as he stirred the bowl in quiet contemplation. "Yes. I'll come as well. Did the higher-ups decide when would be a good test-date? I'm very interested to see what dimension we've tapped into."

"Sometime next week. I'd like Victor to be there as well. It would be a good show of family solidarity."

Silas shrugged non-vaguely. "If you can get the boy to do something useful, it'd be a nice change."

Elinore sighed.

* * *

Hanging around the ghost zone, as Danny had learned, was not a fun pastime.

Still, as the portal opened up, he was glad he'd gone through with this plan. He was in human form, as he'd guessed his spectral energies would set off at least _one_ of the numerous alarms more so than his living body.

His first impression of the lab was a sterile white color that he'd come to associate with hospitals, thanks in large part to Tucker's phobia. The smell, though, was one of light mechanical oils and curious chemical combinations. There was a complicated air about the place as he stepped through the open gateway and past the large observation window.

He blinked curiously at the ring of steel and wires sitting in the experimental bay. His breath caught in his throat as three people, all African-American, stepped into the larger room on the other side of the glass and moved towards it.

Their eyes swung his way…

Danny prepared to jump back into the ghost zone when they sounded the alarm-

And, giving no indication that they saw him, swept past.

The youngest Fenton blinked as they set to work. It was almost as if they hadn't…he slapped his forehead quietly. Of course, it was one-way glass! The room he was in must be an observation room!

He shrugged and went to work opening cabinets. It had to be around…Ah!

Honestly, he had no idea what it was, but the device in one of the larger storage bins matched the rough sketch he'd been given of what to look for. Checking the watch he'd…'barrowed' from a local store, he nodded. The ghost zone portal would still be open for another…

Danny blinked and tuned at the sound of electrical circuits humming with power.

He could have sworn he'd heard that noise somewhere…before…

The giant ring in the other room was lighting up…forming strange, almost ethereal designs inside it. It looked like…like…

It looked like the Fenton Ghost Portal!

But the light inside wasn't green…

Danny watched in horror as something of immense size attempted to squeeze through the relatively tiny opening. It was a horror surpassing anything he'd glimpsed with the possible exception of his own distorted future. Whatever it was had multiple tentacles, mouths, and…ugh!

It was only by sheer force of will that he suppressed his gag reflex and his immense experience with emergency situations that allowed him to go ghost despite the shock to his system. All he knew was that those three people were at the mercy of something horrible and he was, at heart, still a hero.

Those scant few seconds were all that saved Elinore Stone's life.

A pair of eviscerating tentacles with protruding spines of bone, metal, and impossibly sharp hair had shot towards her just as they emerged from the black vortex. Her life passed before her eyes in that moment as the bizarre limbs drew closer, closer, and…

Nothing.

She barely noticed the cold shiver that passed through her as she was pulled away from the tentacles. Then, they passed _through_ her, striking the tiled lab floor and digging deeply into it.

Her jaw dropped open as she looked through her own hand, which was vaguely translucent, and then up to the force which was pulling her away from certain doom. She could barely see him, but he was obviously young, younger than her own son and moving with a fluid grace that defied gravity.

Then they were back on the ground and back in the same physical spectrum she lived most of her life and she could see him in every startling detail. There was a corona of dim light surrounding his form, which was bound in some kind of one-piece suit and overlaid with a white trench coat. Then, there was his face…

His eyes _glowed_ a phosphorescent green and white hair wreathed his face, looking somehow longer than it should have and making him seem wilder than anyone she could have met on the street. Then, that intense gaze turned on her.

"Stay behind me," He…It?…said in a hollow, deep tone that echoed when she knew it shouldn't.

Then her world shook as someone screamed in pain.

Both of their gazes locked onto the victim…Danny saw a teen, probably a bit older than him, Elinore saw her son. There was blood on the otherwise sterile floor now, and there was far too much…

"Victor!" Elinore cried out, sobbing pain wrenching her heart.

"Stay behind me," Danny reiterated and, in a moment of desperation, did what six months of training hadn't. Suddenly, there were three of him where there had been one. It was disorienting in the extreme, but he was guided by something deeper than conscious thought. There were people in trouble, and he had to help them.

One held back the woman as the other two flew towards the _thing_.

Silas Stone would someday recount the ensuing fight as the most amazing thing he'd seen to that point in his life. The meta-human with white hair who had just saved his wife's life…spawned two copies of himself, sending one towards his injured son while the other shot beams of blazing green light at the mass of scaled, furred, and rippling flesh.

He leaped forward to help his son as soon as his brain caught up with the reality of the situation. He looked at their enigmatic savior as he knelt to examine Victor and saw, to his surprise, that their hero was even younger than his own boy! His eyes saddened as they looked over the numerous injuries…he was thankful Victor was unconscious…the pain would have been unimaginable.

"I need to get him to the medical ward." He stated in no uncertain terms as his brain considered the vast tears of flesh that were missing from muscle, bone, and organ tissues. The head wound would be the worst, necessitating extensive reconstruction around his mangled left eye.

"One of us will go with you," Phantom stated in no uncertain terms and pressed his hand against the ground beneath his son. Spontaneously, a layer of green energy coalesced and lifted the battered form into the air. That copy turned his head to the one defending Elinore and jerked it once.

The original nodded and flew into battle, abandoning the woman to tend to her son as the two identical white-haired teens forced the alien monstrosity back.

The remaining copy held Victor steady as he and the two parents moved through the hallway to the medical bay. As the door closed with a pneumatic hiss, the Stone's paled when they heard an enormous explosion from the portal room combined with the most agonizingly loud noise they'd ever conceived of. It lasted for only a moment, but shook the lab complex like a savage wind.

Then it was calm and the two other Phantoms emerged from the wall, having phased _through_ it, and recombined with the other. He sighed deeply and set down the injured older teen on an operating table. "Sorry, but I had to destroy the portal."

Elinore nodded. "Thank you, so much. I'm sorry, but we have to see to our son now…"

"Can I help?" Danny asked, before he even knew what he was saying.

"Only if you have extensive experience in advanced cybernetics and know a way to freeze blood vessels without destroying them," Silas Stone spat angrily, the stress of the situation setting in now that the danger was gone. "Otherwise, my son is going to die."

Phantom nodded. "I think I know the theory of cryogenics well enough. The temperature applied needs to be within thirty degrees of absolute zero, right?" Ever since Jinx had taught him that ice was _very_ effective against most demons he'd taken it upon himself to see exactly how cold he could go.

The answer: _Very_.

It required concentration that made it completely useless on the practice range or battlefield, but it was a handy parlor trick to be able to freeze something to near-absolute-zero with just a touch. Cryogenics had been an interesting side-study that had filled the too-many sleepless hours between the end of classes and the start of the next day.

And now it looked like it might save someone's life. Taking a deep breath and ignoring the Stones' incredulous looks, Danny concentrated all of his significant talent with ice manipulation into his right hand pointer-finger.

Over the near-arctic chill that permeated the air, Danny looked at Silas, "Tell me where."

Silas Stone swallowed and nodded. "Start at the major arteries in the right arm…here, here, and here, that should keep him from bleeding out. Next, the organs. Most of his digestive system is intact, but we'll need to excise his spleen…or what's left of it."

Thus began a three-hour long operation which Phantom was ill-prepared for and gave him reason enough to swear to take the remedial medical lectures that were offered immediately after break. Once they'd stabilized the patient, Elinore turned to the door to see to the security force which had been impatiently waiting with many, _many_, awkward questions.

Danny, meanwhile, helped Silas.

He had to admit, the man was a genius and, from what little he was able to glean during the intermittent conversations they held, he had three doctorates: medical, advanced physics, and cybernetics. Phantom withheld any information about himself save his name, which put Stone on guard and resulted in a somewhat bizarre working silence between the two.

They spent the next two hours installing supplementary life-support systems and making sure Victor wouldn't wake up and accidentally injure himself worse. Danny sighed as he turned intangible and allowed the blood to slough off him. It still left him feeling…icky, and he would never let anyone know he even _thought_ so girly a word, but it was better than walking around looking like a fugitive from a horror movie.

Finally, Silas turned to him.

"Thank you, Mr. Phantom. Words can never express how much I owe you for being there in my family's time of need. If you ever need _anything_, just ask."

Danny smiled proudly. "Well, getting out of here without leaving my identity would be a great start."

Silas' eyes were cautious, but his face resigned. He couldn't rightly refuse the boy any favor. No matter the fact that his son was rebellious, short-tempered, or almost a stranger these days…

He was still his son. Even now, the thought of loosing him caused his heart to heart in ways that had no medical reasoning. If Phantom hadn't been there…

"You'll come home with us, then. We have much to discuss about me repaying my debt," Silas said pointedly.

Danny blinked, taken aback by the finality in the man's voice. "But…"

"Silas is right young man," Elinore said, finally returning with a man in an army uniform. "Until further notice, you are our guest."

"Yes," The other man stated, clearing his throat for attention. "It appears that not only the Stones' but also the American government owe you a great deal. If that monster had come completely through the portal, we would have had a real crisis on our hands, Mr.…Phantom, was it?"

Danny blinked, looking between the three adults and considering his options.

He could run, of course, but while the individual walls probably weren't dense enough to prevent him from phasing through him…he would run into every problem that getting _into_ the facility had presented while trying to get _out _of it. Plus, he'd left the infi-map with Frostbite back on the other side of the Ghost Zone portal…which had long-since closed.

Damn it.

* * *

Another chapter down, peeps!

**A/N:** Yeah, I actually had to stop writing this chapter for a little while when I nearly busted a gut laughing. Writing Danny-in-a-Dress just got to funny. No, I won't apologize, so don't waste letters asking. Now, for those of you who don't know-_**Victor Stone**_ is _**Cyborg's**_ real name. Yeah, this chapter suddenly makes a whole lot more sense, don't it? No, the author hasn't suddenly gone on a crazy tangent that will doom the story to insanity...I think...maybe...no, on second thought, let's go with that. ;)

To all reviews I don't specifically address, thank you for everything you've submitted and don't even start to think your opinion doesn't matter to me. I value all my readers, but only respond to direct questions.

-Slayer Out


	5. I Was a Teenage Storm Cloud

Slayer Anderson

Hive Minded V

A Teen Titans/Danny Phantom Crossover Fanfiction

10/21/09

* * *

Chapter 5-The Return of…never-mind…

Or

I Was a Teenage Storm Cloud

* * *

Necessity was the mother of invention.

He forgot where he'd heard it originally, but it was proving more true than he'd originally believed. The Stones and the Military had asked some very…_invasive_ questions, and he'd been forced to conceal more than a little of the truth. But, as Brother Blood had said, and he hated taking that creepy, creepy man's advice, still…

The best lies were sprinkled with truth.

He'd explained that he was a ghost.

True, well…at lest mostly true. He was a halfa, which was half ghost, half human.

He'd told them he'd come from the Ghost Zone through a random portal.

Also true. He _didn't_ tell them that he'd _planned_ to come through the random portal to steal something for a school of villains that was blackmailing him.

His name was Danny Phantom.

_That_ was becoming more and more true as he barely spent any time at all in his human body anymore. Then there had been the more awkward questions about exactly where he'd come from, what he was intending to do on Earth, and why he'd saved the Stones.

After all, ghosts were evil, weren't they?

Danny had almost screamed in frustration at that. The continued evidence of…ecto-bigotry was appalling. Honestly, he was surprised only _one_ future evil copy had come back to kill him!

But the fact that he hadn't done anything _overtly_ evil (or easily misinterpreted) before or after the 'kidnapping the mayor' incident that Walker falsified attested to the fact that he wasn't a bad…person, even if he might be dead. The scuffle with Static and Gear in Dakota wasn't widely known as there hadn't been any reporters on the scene and he hadn't announced his identity to the two superheroes.

And that was how he'd ended up spending the next week with the Stones as they refused to let him leave without _some_ show of hospitality. Luckily, he'd managed to sneak off a few days before and get rid of the incriminating evidence of his theft to a HIVE contact waiting for the delivery.

As it was, he was alternating between a nervous wreck and tremendously worried at the prospect of Victor Stone dying. It hadn't been his fault that the accident occurred, but…

He couldn't help but see the similarities between Victor's fate and his own lab accident that had made him what he was today. Both he and the other teenager had been extraordinarily lucky…

Luckier than he, himself, had really ever thought about until now.

Of course, having seen the situation from the inside gave Danny experience in something else he'd never thought about. Victor, by his parents account (and they couldn't _stop_ talking about him after the accident) was a brilliant, but troubled teenager.

Their words, not his, of course.

Danny would have bluntly commented that Victor was a selfish brat who hadn't known how good he had it. A loving family, an easy school life, and a natural athlete, what more could he want? It irritated him beyond belief that now he'd actually have a _reason_ to be mad at his parents.

Because Danny, too, resented his parents just a little even after all that had happened…maybe _especially_ after all that had happened. He didn't like to think about it now, but immediately after he'd received his powers…

He'd _hated_ his parents.

He'd been angry at the world, his friends, and more specifically, everything that had made him the way he was. The ghost portal, the ecto-guns, his parents' _stupid_ drive to try to find something that he'd always considered imaginary.

Victor…would be worse than him.

_He_ could at least turn human if the fancy struck him. He could _pretend_ for just a moment, that he was normal. He could at least have the _illusion_ of choice to keep him from lashing out at anyone and everyone.

It was what had kept him sane back in those dark days.

He'd seen what the Stone parents were turning their son into…and knew exactly what his own response would have been. The minute he looked into a mirror and saw what he'd become…

He'd need someone to blame.

Danny sighed.

Sometimes…and against his better judgment, he was still a good person. All the HIVE Academy was teaching him was how to be _sneakier_ about it. After all, he couldn't just announce he was a hero anymore. Now that he really knew what it _meant_ to wear the title.

So…he'd play the villain while acting the hero.

He grinned widely and turned away from the healing Victor Stone. Oh, wouldn't Vlad be surprised when he heard!

Of course, his friends would be just as pissed.

* * *

"You want _what!_"

Elinore seconded Silas' question silently. General Hack blinked awkwardly and stared at the young…man. Honestly, he had no idea what the boy was thinking, but…

That mutant horror which had tried to come through the portal would have no doubt killed hundreds before alarm was raised enough to get the full military police or one of the higher-ranking members of the Justice League in to put it down.

_If_ they could put it down.

That thought alone was enough to make him agree even to the most outrageous requests, short of nuclear launch codes. They owed the boy that much at least. "Okay, Phantom. I do this and you need to be gone. I'll have the video footage destroyed and all my men know the deal so they won't talk. Let me be clear that I have no idea _why_ you want this, but I'm willing to take a leap of faith on you. I really hope you don't make me regret this or I'll have to deny meeting you and you really _will_ be to blame if someone catches you."

"Thanks," Phantom smiled and started to walk out the door, trying his best to hide how shocked he was by the last of the General's proposal. Still, he supposed it was his lucky to get the stereotypical _deny, deny, deny_ military type.

"Wait! Why in the hell do want everyone to say its _your _fault!" Silas asked desperately. His father had prided himself on debts repaid in kind. He had carried that blood legacy since the day that man had died.

Now, his way of life was being undone right before his eyes.

He was being _forced_ to brand someone who had saved his entire family's lives as a thief! No, not only as a thief, but a ruthless murderer! To tell his own son...to lie to him!

Phantom turned around and grinned at him. "When your son looks at himself in a mirror, tell him it's all my fault and he won't hate you."

Silas' mouth dropped open wordlessly as the first inklings of understanding dawned on him.

Danny suddenly turned to General Hack and nodded respectfully. "Besides, if you didn't call me a thief and a saboteur you wouldn't have anyone to blame when you find that gizmo missing."

Hack blinked and, while he was still caught mentally flat-footed, Danny Phantom disappeared and flew out of the Stone home, making a bee-line for the nearest bus station restroom. Geniuses or not, they didn't have any idea he would be able to travel incognito on public transportation.

* * *

General Hack stared at the place where Phantom had disappeared. The boy's last two sentences were...intensely contradictory. Phantom was hard to categorize and harder to rationalize his behavior. Was he a hero? If he was telling the truth about his theft...

It was all very confusing and he resolved to have a psych evaluation done on Phantom ASAP.

If he recalled...one of Elinore PHDs was in psychology.

But...if Phantom was telling the truth, his hand were tied and both the Star Labs CEO and his superior would be breathing down his neck to see _something _done and he knew exactly what it would be

General Hack stepped out of the meeting room and called a private over to him, "I want an inventory of all the Labs Phantom was even close to. Everything. I also want the security footage of Phantom's little romp through our top-secret facility. All of it. All the copies. Pull the originals from the hard drive in the level 7 and do it pronto."

"Sir Yes Sir!"

"And soldier..." General Hack said much more quietly. The man turned again, attentive and focused. "Don't let anyone see you. I never ordered this, this conversation never happened."

"Sir!"

Hack sighed. He was a man of his word and would give Phantom a fighting chance...if even it gave him a headache and a shit-storm from up above.

The military man set course for his office to find a bottle of Asprin and a _good_ cover-story.

* * *

Danny Fenton arrived home to much fanfare among his family, except for Jazz.

She had given him a cool look for a moment before allowing him inside, never taking her eyes off him and a suspicious-looking bulge pressing against her jeans pocket that Danny guessed was the Fenton Peeler. She gave lip-service to the traditional teary-eyed 'how are you,' 'how long can you stay,' and 'did you have a good fall semester?'

Then, when his parents finally left the two alone to see to one of their experiments, she cornered him in his room carrying the morning's paper and slapped it down on his bed. As promised, they'd destroyed the photographic evidence of his visit to STAR Labs, but he supposed their verbal agreement didn't extend to sketches.

All in all, it was _very_ accurate.

They'd done a full-body view and a close up on his face, even catching him in his white trench coat and glowing green eyes, which were the only spots of color in the picture. Rather than react angrily at the news, Danny nodded and quirked a smile.

Whatever he'd stolen must have been pretty important to piss them off this badly when they'd been so grateful before. Still, he thought he looked rather…dashing? No, maybe…a little gaunt, but impressively foreboding at the same time. Whatever the precise term, he like the picture and nodded in a vaguely approving way.

"Care to explain, little brother?"

Jazz didn't bother to hide the suspicion in her voice or the accusation the question itself implied. Danny had…changed over the last many months. He'd become more closed off, more…remote. Before he'd left for that school he'd merely been cold to his friends and family, neglecting social involvement and distancing himself from almost everyone. By itself, she might call it delayed trauma from seeing his own awful future.

God only knew what that could do to the teenage psyche.

Combined with what she was seeing now, when he'd returned from the school…Danny was different. Startlingly so, really. It was little things, like how he held himself, the words he used, and…he was relaxed. No, not relaxed, merely aware that whatever came his way, he could handle it.

Jazz blinked.

Confident. He was _confident_, as she'd never seen him before. The Danny who had gone to that Academy, even after he'd become cold and distant, he was still nervous, immature, and almost paranoid. Tucker had said he was twitchy on more than one occasion and Jazz had worriedly agreed with that assessment.

When Danny looked at her though, there was none of that nervous energy in his gaze, merely a calm assurance that, come hell or high water, he'd get through whatever he needed to.

"Jazz?" She nodded, sitting down on her brother's bed as he smiled at her gently. "Do you honestly believe that I would, for any reason, purposeful hurt someone whom I've never even met, much less try and kill them?"

"No, but…" Jazz sighed. "I'm just worried, Danny. We've barely talked and now this newspaper says you've…"

She couldn't even bring herself to say it…to accuse her own brother of attempted murder. It would be a horrible thing to do and Danny would never forgive her for it. She probably wouldn't forgive herself for it.

"Jazz, you're my sister and I love you," Danny stated with a bluntness that only Fentons can. Jazz impulsively hugged her little brother for that and it was only when she pulled away that he continued. "I need you to understand that before I tell you anything else."

The red-head flinched as if struck, but nodded despite the sudden sinking sensation in her stomach. "I love you too Danny, what is it?"

"I did steal something from STAR labs."

Jazz stood and bit her tongue to keep from yelling in surprise. "You…you, Danny how could you? _Why_ did you…?"

"I can't tell you."

Jazz's mouth dropped open in shock as she tried to formulate a response. Then, she got angry. Her face flushed red and her hands shook convulsively as she tried to temper her furious attitude. "_Why?_"

This time it was Danny who flinched as if struck. That one word hurt him more than the ranting and raving that he'd expected from his sister. The ghost-boy sighed and looked at Jazz sadly.

"Because there are people who will kill you if you try and stop them. No, stop. This isn't like Vlad, or the Ghost King, or even my future self. These are people who will stop at nothing to get what they want and will take away everything I hold dear if I say no. They are ruthless, evil, and completely without morals. If they wanted to kill you, Sam, and Tucker…they wouldn't just gun you down. One day, a gas line in one of the Casper High Science Labs would explode."

Jazz stared at him in mounting horror.

"Or an sixteen-wheeler carrying toxic waste or high explosives would crash into your homeroom. A plane would fall from the sky. It doesn't really matter to them. Every story ends the same way…everyone would die and it would be nothing but a tragic accident."

Jazz was crying by now and Danny warily pulled her to him in a tight hug.

She cried for several minutes and Danny didn't shake her out of it. In fact, he might have let a few tears escape his own eyes. He was a horrible person for doing this, but his sister _needed_ to understand, or she would get herself and other people killed.

When she finally looked up at him with puffy red, but dry, eyes, she shook her head. "Danny, I don't want you to go back to those people."

"I know," Danny sighed. "It isn't so bad, though. They're teaching me a lot of stuff, even if most of it comes down to 'how to be evil 101.' Plus, I need to take them down. Those creepy sons of bitches are asking for it."

Jazz was torn between snorting in amusement and chastising Danny for his language. "You shouldn't have to do this, though, Danny. You've already been through so much."

"I can't trust anyone else with my family's and friends' lives. Well, except you." Danny admitted, grinning at Jazz's surprise. "I'm gonna' need your help, you know. Tucker and Sam are going to be at our door the second they know I'm home. I need you to have my back, Sis."

Jazz sniffed once more and nodded, her gaze serious. "You aren't coming home for a while, are you?" Why else would he be doing this _now_? He could have just blown her off and decided to wait till Christmas to spill the beans, but doing it now meant there was something big coming.

Danny shook his head, still grinning. "Nope. Of course, I'm really sad that I'll miss Christmas, but there's nothing to be done. You know how these hero things are."

Jazz dodged the obvious jab at their horrible Christmas record that remained, as yet, unbroken. "I'm still curious why you didn't tell Sam and Tucker instead of me."

"Because they wouldn't understand." Danny said somberly as he stood and looked out the window. "We've always been a team and…I need to do this alone. I've thought about it a lot over the last three weeks and there's no feasible way for them to help that wouldn't get them noticed and…"

The halfa shook his head. "HIVE has spies everywhere Jazz. I even did a sweep of this building before I approached in human form. By the way, Vlad had about twenty cameras hidden all over the house."

The red-head shivered in sudden disgust. "Thanks, I needed to hear that. What do you expect me to do about Sam and Tucker, though? I mean it's not like I can-"

"-follow them around obsessively, watching their every move like some sort of deranged stalker and running interference between them and anything you judge to be too dangerous?" Danny interrupted Jazz, finishing with another mischievous grin. "Why not? You did a pretty good job of it…Ghost Getter No.1."

Jazz blushed and groaned in embarrassment. "You're conspiring to have you law-abiding sister stalk your best friends for you _and _you're leaving me alone with _them _for the holidays. Maybe you really are evil."

"No, I really have to stay at school. I'm taking Prof. Chang next quarter and he's a horrible, creepy man who makes me want to punch him in his over-sized gut." Danny growled irritably and sighed.

"You mean…it's really a school?" Jazz asked, goggling at the prospect. "A school for…evil?" The idea was a perversion of everything she felt right and just with the educational program…which, admittedly, wasn't much.

"Super-villains," Danny corrected. "Most of the propaganda the HIVE generates is all about them pushing their students to be the best of the worst. Really, I'd say only a few get to become really successful villains and maybe _one_ every few years graduates to super-villain level. Still, most of the rest of the student body is well equipped for careers as thieves, mercenaries, terrorists, hired thugs, or even common criminals. A few strike out on their own and form crime families, even."

Jazz gaped at her brother's casual discussion of teenagers being led down the worst paths imaginable for the rest of their lives. "That's horrible!"

Danny shrugged and began un-cramming a foot locker with his school things in it. "Tell me about it. And, man, I thought normal school was hard. You should see the paper I had to write for Abnormal Psychology and Torment; it had to be _at least_ fifteen pages! That was _before_ our final, too!"

"You wrote a fifteen page paper?" Jazz asked, disbelievingly. Still, she was glad of the change of topic and Danny seemed more than happy to discuss the subject with. With a start, she realized that she was probably the first person he'd been able to talk to…_really_ talk to in…months.

It was a sobering thought.

She smiled as Danny pulled out a stack of papers with a large, red '98%' scribbled on it in a neat scrawl. Then, she blinked and stared at it, shocked.

"The Psychology of a Teenage Superhero! Danny, really!" Jazz yelped, pulling the papers away from him and beginning to read. "You're going to have to explain how you got into this mess in the first place."

Danny sighed as Jazz poured over two weeks worth of his own effort. Given that he'd never really written something that long before, he was pretty proud of it. "Okay, you remember when I had that appointment? Well…"

* * *

Stonewalled.

That was the only phrase Sam could think of to adequately describe what the collusion of the Fenton siblings had meant for her and Tucker. At this point the goth wished she hadn't detoured to throw Tucker out of bed (his Saturday mornings started around noon) to confront Danny together. She _should_ have charged Fenton Works with bayonets fixed and caught the ghost boy off-guard.

But _nooo_!

Somehow, _somehow_, he'd managed to get Jazz on his side. He even admitted to robbing a government research facility! It was absurd to think that his sister would support him on anything after that. Still, the two Fentons had stonewalled each and every subtle inquiry, direct question, or yelled accusation that she and Tucker had been able to imagine.

And what had they gotten for all their effort?

They'd hurt Danny unimaginably.

She hadn't thought about half the things she'd yelled at him towards the end. At least, not until they were out of her mouth and by the it was too late. The things she'd _said_, Oh God…

And when it was all over, Danny had slapped Tucker's back in one of those stupid half-hugs that men were so fond of and he'd given her a tight embrace that left tears in her eyes. Then he'd…

He'd said that he _understood how they felt!_ He'd been a horrible friend and hadn't called or written for the last few months, but he'd been busy with school. He was sorry and he'd like to go out to a movie with both of them, just like old times.

During all of those nice words and bland smiles, though, there had been a deep, intense pain that Sam doubted she'd ever forgive herself for causing. In the end, they'd dropped the subject and gone out for pizza and to catch a new monster movie playing at the cinema downtown.

Because…

Whether Danny wanted to tell them or not, when all was said and done, it was _his_ business. He'd said he'd tell them eventually, but so Help Her God if there wasn't a good reason Danny wouldn't be able to walk for a month from the broken bones.

Tucker had been as guilty as she had, though his deeds weighted less on his soul for the sheer fact that he didn't dwell on it too much. He and Danny had been friends for years and there'd been many such rough spots…like the time Desiree granted him that wish or when he'd become 'King Tuck.' He knew when he'd done something that hurt his friend, even if he needed a little reminding now and then, and those moments just strengthened his resolve to be there when Danny _really _needed him.

Like during Fright Knight's Halloween rampage last year! He'd sacrificed a year's candy haul to seal that bad boy back up and he'd do it again in a heartbeat! Sam, though…

Between this being her and Danny's first _major_ argument and their…

Not-quite-almost-but-not-really-something-like-a-(not)fake-out-make-out relationship…Tucker shook his head; he'd just confused himself rather badly. Trying to make sense of his best friends' relationship dynamic often did that.

Anyway, with their…complicated status, this was hurting her _way_ more than it did him. Sigh, he would probably hear about it tonight…and he'd been hoping to break in that new motherboard, too.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the three people I most wanted to see after my stint in the slammer!" A rough, cackling voice cried out from the nearest shadow. The pale and sallow-faced figure that stepped out wore a bowler over his bald head and an odd assortment of out-of-date clothing from a few decades prior.

As his insane eyes focused past his beaky nose and onto them, he sneered widely and hefted his right hand which was clad in a bronze gauntlet inset with brightly colored stones. "What, speechless? I suppose I do inspire that in most people. Still, I would have expected something more…something like,-"

"-Freakshow!" Sam and Tucker gasped in surprise as Danny prepared a countermeasure. He grit his teeth in concentration and, though he'd not had much practice with it…

"_That!_ Ha-HA!" Freakshow gloated proudly and snapped the fingers of his left hand. Immediately, two green bats show out of the shadows behind him and enlarged themselves to wrap around the goth and techno-geek. "Although…I am disappointed in you, boy-"

A finger jabbed in Danny's direction. He remained standing there, making no move whatsoever, which only served to infuriate Freakshow further.

"No _lightshow!_ No pizzazz! Why…one would almost believe that you don't think I'm a threat! Foolish boy, with the Reality Gauntlet under my control, I am Ringmaster of all Reality!" As Freakshow lifted his shiny, gaudy, and easily-targeted weapon into the air for all to see, taunting Danny into transforming in broad daylight in the middle of a busy street.

_PSSHT!CkKOW!_

Danny raised an eyebrow as his invisible duplicate, he could still only manage _one_ after that mess at STAR labs, snipped and hit the 'Reality Gauntlet' from behind Freakshow, blowing it into hundreds of pieces.

The gaunt Ringmaster stared in disbelief at his slightly singed hand as the gauntlet crumbled to near-dust at his feet. A few of the partially-intact and crack gems tumbled to Danny's feet where he looked at them for a moment before picking them up and stuffing them in the pockets of his trench coat.

"You were saying?"

Danny's gaze didn't distract him from freeing his friends with a discreet pair of small ecto-bolts, which was all he could manage in human form, as his ghostly self phased into existence behind Freakshow.

The pale man whirled at the sound of air being displaced by a ghost phasing and stared at Phantom's form. His head spun again, back to Fenton, and back to Phantom again. "But! But! You…I was sure you were…! Never mind! Lydia, take care of this pest! He may have caught us off-guard, but we will still have my revenge."

The tattooed green-skinned ghost floated out of the shadows and readied herself to attack…

Then Phantom turned and looked at her.

"Boo."

Memories of exactly _who_ she was facing down surfaced as she remembered her long years of enslavement under Freakshow. The Ringmaster may have tamed Phantom for a short while, but he was still on a whole-other power level than she was. And, while she did owe Freakshow her freedom from the insufferable Guys In White…

She had her own afterlife to worry about.

Without so much as another offensive action, Lydia stepped back into the shadows and disappeared from view. Freakshow blinked and began to sweat as Phantom's gaze swiveled to fixate on him. How could he his vengeance end here! He'd had an object of immense power and one of his faithful minions back again at his beck and call. If only he hadn't just _assumed_ that little black-haired brat and Phantom were one and the same!

"Ah! A ghost!"

Freakshow's imminent doom was delayed a moment as the aforementioned dark-haired brat screamed a _very convincing_, no-not really, cry of unbelievable panic and dragged his stunned friends away from the scene of the vicious attack by the wanted criminals.

As the tableau of silence was broken, the surrounding crowd began to stir uneasily and back away from Phantom and the broken Ringmaster. Finally, the ghost-boy turned his electric green gaze on them, freezing them in place for a moment. He sighed and firmed his resolve.

This would hurt him much more than them.

"I am Phantom, fear me."

Much more convincing screams erupted from the populous as the Phantom duplicate grabbed Freakshow by his collar and flew away, trying to remember where, exactly, the Guys In White kept their Amity Park headquarters.

* * *

Sam was poking him again.

"It's really me, Sam. Just like it was the last time you checked, two minutes ago. Please stop poking me." Danny sighed as the finger digging in his arm was removed.

Only to be replaced by two biting nails coated in black lacquer.

"Ow!" Danny cried, jumping and causing people in line to stare at him. Looking irritated, he whispered to Sam. "I though you were supposed to _pinch_ _yourself_ when you weren't sure if something was happening! What's the big deal? It was just Freakshow."

"Just Freakshow!" Tucker asked somewhat loudly. "Danny, if you remember, the last time that guy popped up he made you one of his zombie mind puppets and made you rob banks and stuff."

Danny shrugged it off. "So? He just stood there talking for like…two minutes. What does he expect me to do, oblige him by listening patiently while he's explaining how he's going to kill me? No thanks."

"But Danny…" Sam said searchingly, trying to be as delicate as possible. "That _is _what you usually do. I mean, you did a really good job and kicked his butt and everything. We're just really surprised that you were so…so…"

"Competent?" Danny asked, blushing slightly as she reminded him of all the times he could have just punched out a ghost or popped out the Fenton Thermos and been done with it instead of watching things degenerate into a pitched epic battle that nearly killed him and everyone he knew. "Well, you'll be glad to know that if you study, eat right, and get the proper amount of sleep…you, too, can effortlessly defeat a moron who likes to monologue, thereby leaving himself open to attack."

Tucker and Sam blinked, surprised at the…almost nostalgic resentment that Danny's sarcasm masked. The goth sighed. "Okay Danny, we're not mad at you or anything. We're just…impressed."

Danny blushed again, this time in humble embarrassment. "Uh…Thanks, but it's no big deal, really."

_It was no big deal._

Tucker shook his head as he hid behind his PDA. Danny just didn't get it. The fact that it wasn't a _big deal_ was the _problem_. He'd almost effortlessly defeated a psychotic Ringmaster, his ghostly minion, and an object of (presumably) legendary power and he wasn't even making a big deal out of it.

That said something had changed with Danny. He was different and over the course of just a few months, too. Granted, it was a few months that he'd been gone, away from everyone he knew, that he refused to discuss, and had led to his face on the front-page of a national newspaper and a warrant for his arrest from the CIA and FBI….

It wasn't that he wasn't worried.

Of _course_ he was worried. But, unlike Sam, again, he wasn't one to obsess when there wasn't anything to do over the matter. The techno-geek sighed deeply. Yes, he would definitely hear about this tonight.

* * *

Vlad Masters was a happy man.

Months of planning after the tiple debacles of the battles with the Ghost King, the Infi-map, and his creation of that rebellious clone, this plan would be sure to succeed. He supposed he'd set his sights too high in the beginning. Control of an empire when he still needed an heir to his destined throne? It was madness!

Yes, first Daniel…then the world!

Well…first he needed to attract Daniel's attention from wherever he was hiding. Or Hidden…yes, he couldn't forget that possibility. At any rate, the boy would appear to combat Vortex and then he would pry the truth from the little badger. Why, he could even trick the gullible teen into thinking he was trying to _help_ him!

Ha!

So excited was he that he tossed aside his morning ritual of reading the newspaper and eating breakfast, instead opting for a cup of coffee and a bagel. Yes, busy day, busy day! Entering the ghost zone, Plasmius made a bee-line for the Observant's tower!

Yes, this would be a great day!

* * *

Several hours later, he wasn't so sure.

He had vastly underestimated Daniel's unpredictability. That didn't mean he bought the front-page story for a _second_, though. In fact, he'd looked for another two papers after he'd seen the first one sitting in a rubbish bin at the intersection next to Daniel's school. He wouldn't put it past certain ghosts, such as Skulker, Spectra, or Technis to create the paper as some sort of petty revenge scheme against one of his many slights to their domains.

Well, maybe not Skulker…he never had been exceptionally bright, that one.

A brilliant hunter, certainly, but obviously lacking in other areas.

At any rate, he'd dismissed the theory outright after a few seconds and another confirmation of the story. Then, he'd contemplated Walker. Daniel hadn't wronged the strict ghost in a great while, but Walker was never one to let a bad grudge die. Given the last time 'Danny Phantom's' reputation had been on the rise, the Warden had negotiated that ghost invasion and left Daniel holding the check.

Vlad, for one, was always a fan of an encore performance of a good trick.

But no. Not even Walker could gather enough influence to pull off a hoax of this magnitude. Vlad was one of the few people who knew exactly how many protections there were around those labs and the scientists that worked in them. STAR Labs had always been a tier above his own Axiom Labs and, therefore, subject to much more attention by…well, everyone.

That corporation had been raided by everyone, including aliens, super-villains, demigods, serial murderers, the undead, psychotics, beast-men, and even…if he recalled correctly…a colony of intelligent insects. Yes, STAR Labs had _more_ than earned their famed paranoia and stringent security protocols.

Military personal were even harder to get close to. Occasionally, members of the Justice League part-timed as security attachés for especially famous or high-profile individuals. When they didn't, the United States had their own brand of…

Well, you couldn't really call the super_heroes_.

They were usually an odd assortment of veterans, mercenaries, and government sponsored assassins with skill sets that varied from magic, to firearm skills, to melee combat, to even more…obscure forms of protection.

It was one of the factors that had led him to keep his own activities as unnoticeable and secretive as possible. He was above-board on all of his dealings, court cases, and taxes. The best strategies were held so far in reserve that no one saw them coming. He could ill-afford the attention of the likes of Superman or Batman. Heroes were a tenacious lot, as Daniel had proven and he did not envy Lex Luthor his lost fortune, deposed social status, or repossessed company.

Vlad's musing brought him back to the present with the thought of Heroes and his gaze drifted through the sheeting rain and ice to the figures in the sky doing battle. He had been poorly informed on many fronts and much-needed information had slipped his grasp.

Daniel was back in town for holiday, indicating that he had _willingly_ left Amity Park, something Vlad had thought nearly impossible. After all, what self-respecting sinister organization gave _vacation time_?

The little badger was also…different. He moved with a confidence that belied his age and apparent ability. He was faster, stronger, and more focused than Vlad had ever seen him.

Last but certainly not least…Vortex had escaped his control. The deranged ghost couldn't be reasoned with, entreated, or argued with. All he cared about was causing rampant destruction with his natural control over the elements.

After these three events had conspired to turn his masterful plan into a comedy of errors, he honestly wondered if the universe had actually _conspired_ against him on this day. It wasn't enough to see his scheming come to naught, but to have it _thrown in his face_ that he was so woefully ill-informed…

It was an embarrassment on the grandest scale imaginable.

Vlad's gaze intensified. He _would_ get to the bottom of this cosmic farce!

Daniel _would_ be his heir. His son.

His…apprentice.

* * *

Danny Phantom had never been more sure he was fate's chew toy than today.

He hadn't even been home a full _week_ yet and he'd been attacked by Skulker, Technis, Freakshow, and Ember. Granted, Ember was only after his blood because he'd kicked her boyfriend's ass….which turned out to be Skulker.

That was…_all_ the _wrong _kinds of weird, by the way.

So, his enemies had come out of the woodwork once word had gotten around he was back in town. The constant transition between human and ghost was upsetting his internal clock and sleeping schedule. He'd had to work _hard_ to simultaneously save and terrorize the townspeople of Amity Park.

And…

And he was already starting to miss the HIVE. He was irritated, in a foul mood, and was trying to navigate the horribly awkward chasm that had developed between himself and his friends as a result of his long absence and bad publicity.

There had been _more_ than enough on his plate without even think of the concerted effort his parents and Valerie were making to catch his alter-ego. He had been hard-pressed on several occasions to keep his blasts at low-level strength and successfully escape. He really, _really_, didn't want to think about the Guys In White and the fact that he'd basically announced his return to Amity Park when his duplicate had dropped off Freakshow.

The worst part, though…the absolute _worst_ part was that he'd practically _asked_ for this mess to be dumped in his lap. Vlad, the only one of his person rogue's gallery that had yet to make an appearance, was utterly and completely _right_ when he'd described Phantom as a short-sighted child who liked to play hero.

He'd only thought of doing the right thing.

He'd only wanted to save a stupid teenager from himself. He hadn't even questioned his own logic…talked it out with anyone, or even wondered how it would affect him and his friends and family beyond the obvious!

He'd just _known_ with such _certainty_ that he _had_ to do _something_!

So…he could add brash and impetuous to the growing list of his character flaws.

And unlucky. Oh, he could _never_ forget unlucky. His current situation proved _that_ beyond a shadow of a doubt. Wherever this ghost…no. He was at the point where he couldn't believe that this last incident in the chain of ghost attacks was just _random_. He had no idea what someone could gain by unleashing the raw force of destruction that was Vortex, but he was willing to guess that Vlad had masterminded this.

Why?

Hell if he knew. It was probably one of those convoluted plans of his that ended with Danny walking right into some kind of massive ambush. He honestly couldn't bring himself to really _care_ at the moment. Even if it wasn't Vlad, it felt good to have someone to blame at the moment. _Screw_ brash and shortsighted…

He was _angry._

No, more than that; he was _**pissed**_!

"Hello misplaced aggression," Danny muttered, the words bitter and sour even to his ears as he dodged _another_ lightning bolt. That must have made an even dozen! He'd honestly never fought a ghost capable of this amount of sheer power!

His ecto-enhanced vision (it came with the eerie glowing-green eyes) pierced through the veil of sleet, snow, tornado force winds easily. It was the thick, almost opaque cloud cover that represented the real danger, though.

_SHOOM!_

Shooting off an ecto-blast, Danny was rewarded with a yelp and the appearance of his new nemesis. "Hey drizzle, nice day out! I have to wonder how much longer a wimpy little rain cloud like you can keep it up for!"

"A pathetic ghost such as YOU, DARES to insult me, Vortex, master of the winds themselves? Unimaginable!" The ghost's spinning tornado-like tail whipped in agitation as yet _more_ lightning flew from his fingertips.

Employing his trusty trench coat, Danny masked his movements and feinted left, dodging right and missing the energy by inches. His mind drifted back to the combat tutorial he'd attended two weeks ago…

Recharge time was roughly eight seconds and while he could pull off a full volley of ecto-blasts in that time, they had little effect. No…something bigger. At least they were high enough to avoid large-scale property damage…

He took a deep breath and-

The noise was enormous, even though he'd long-sense grown used to the sound. Even cutting through the roaring wind, his Ghostly Wail was like a physical blow to Vortex, spinning him backwards in a dazed spiral. The breath and a large amount of ecto-energy expended, Phantom gasped for air as his opponent righted himself.

"Pretty good PUNK, but you'll need a bit more PUNCH if you're going to fight in the big leagues. Here, let me SHOW you!" Vortex gestured and a mass of compressed air hit Danny like a battering ram, throwing him towards the ground at decidedly…unhealthy velocities.

Danny hit the ground and kept going, regrouping as his intangible body passed through layers of dirt and stone. Flying up, his next blast glowed an electric blue as the chilly energy coalesced at a single point.

The continuous beam of cold cut through the bad weather like a scythe through grain as it bee-lined for an off-guard Vortex. The ghost took the blast in the chest and howled in protest as it froze over his entire body. The impromptu coffin shattered upon impact with the concrete parking lot in front of a local sporting goods store as Danny closed the distance.

There was no _way_ it had been that easy.

Vortex's frozen shards dissipated into formless green gas and took on the physical appearance of a cloud. If Danny wasn't mistaken, it was cumulonimbus, given that the chapter on weather control machines detailed such in his Doomsday Device reader that had been assigned for the next quarter's course. As it turned out, that stuff _did_ have a practical application in predicting Vortex's next tactic.

More lightning.

_Yay_.

Invisibility was his best shot as he duplicated himself for a decoy and flew around behind Vortex. The impressively powerful lightning bolt slammed into the 'other him' and destroyed the copy immediately. Knowing that Vortex would either sense deception or celebrate the defeat by destroying another building, Danny struck.

The ecto-beam he cut loose this time was considerably more powerful than anything he'd been comfortable with before as Vortex cried out in shock and pain. The weather-controlling ghost didn't fall this time, instead spinning and raising a shield to combat the beam of energy.

Danny gave the beam a few more seconds and then stopped as Vortex leveled his other hand at the ghost-boy and shot out a beam of green energy of his own. Phantom was immediately struck by the fact that this was the first time Vortex had used basic attacks rather than the weather in combat. That meant the assault was tiring him out or…another bolt of lightning sizzled by his head, leaving a trail of ozone as it flew.

Or…he'd just pissed the other ghost off sufficiently.

_Great_.

A sudden down-draft caught his trench coat and pulled him down to earth like a kite, slamming him into the roof of a sedan unexpectedly and violently. The car alarm choked and died as Phantom flew a scant five feet to stand before his opponent on solid ground.

"VERY GOOD boy! I haven't had such a CHALLENGE in eons! I DO have appointments to keep, though, so this BRAWL must END!" Vortex cried, spectral lightning building up in his palms again and discharging faster than Phantom had expected.

Holding both palms towards Vortex, Danny concentrated and formed a translucent green wall between him and the cackling twister, thickening it as much as he could and bracing for impact. The blasts of ball lightning, evidently an alternate form of Vortex's favorite attack, hit him with all of the subtlety of a thrown tank, straining against the impressive barrier he'd erected. Sweat beaded the ghost-boy's brow as his legs nearly buckled under the pressure of holding back a force of nature.

Then, the shield cracked.

A spider web of weak-points spread as though through glass and, an instant later, the barrier shattered, finally giving way. Vortex's energy had so saturated the air, though, that some of it was conducted _into_ the dissipating shield fragments and, like any metal conductor, translated that energy to the only available area of low-energy concentration in the immediate vicinity.

_Straight into Danny Phantom_.

He would later confirm that it was the most painful experience of his life short of his first transformation into Phantom. It didn't help that his trench coat flared behind him in the force of the winds and acted like an enormous focus, catching even more energy and funneling it into him.

If there were any on-lookers besides Vlad Plasmius, as all of the human observers had fled to seek shelter even _before_ the ghost battle broke out due to the horrible weather and the amount of lightning in the air had friend the news team's camera gear…the observers _would_ have witnessed Vortex's expressions sudden change from exultant and victorious to alarmed and panicked.

That, of course, was right before the energy loop overloaded and the surrounding block was buffeted by a tidal surge of ecto-energy that _nearly_ pulled the town back into the ghost zone. Vlad pulled a magenta shield about him and bunkered down, watching the disaster happen.

For a long moment, nothing moved save the now near-silent shower of rain that had slacked off to reasonable levels. Then, a pile of rubble shifted and moved, revealing…

Phantom rose from the debris like an angry wraith, a corona of energy and new-found strength surging through him as he took to the air. Vortex, evidently more hurt by that blast than all the previous damage, took another few seconds to reform first into a cloud and then into his normal ghostly appearance.

"My POWERS! You little THEIF! Why I'll-"

_SHOOOOOOOOOOWM!_

As the beam of light dragged the weather-controlling ghost into the Fenton Thermos, Danny nodded. "Be sucked into a temperature-controlled beverage container, finalizing your humiliating defeat? Why yes, you will. However did you guess?"

Danny sighed and capped the Thermos.

He didn't expect the applause, though.

"Ah, young Daniel…what a terrific job, as always. Half the city flooded or in ruins, one ghost caught, and yourself helpless before me. You really _should_ learn how to play chess, dear boy." Vlad backhandedly praised as he sneered. "Although I do like the new look. Very 'tough-guy.'"

"Vlad," Danny growled, not noticing the way electricity sparked around him in response to his irritation. "What is it with this week! It just _won't end_!"

"I'm sure I don't have any idea what you mean, Daniel. After all, I was just informed of your arrival back in town today. However, this completely chance meeting does serve a desire of mine. Could you be so kind as to inform your dear Uncle Vlad where you've been these last few months? I've been ever-so-concerned about your welfare." Vlad stated, quirking an eyebrow innocently.

His ire building as Vlad continued his spiel, Danny exhaled in an attempt to control his vexation, ignoring the howling gale of wind that the action briefly kicked up. "_That _is so not even close to being your business. I said it before and I'll say it again, stop stalking me and get. A. Cat!"

Plasmius turned an odd shade of puce as anger and embarrassment warred within him. The teen would be absolutely _insufferable_ if he knew Vlad had taken his advice. "Now Daniel, is that any way to talk to your betters? I see my attempts at teaching you manners haven't stuck. Hmm, what's say we try again?"

As Vlad held up a ball of magenta energy, Danny saw _red_.

Seemingly spontaneously, a bolt of lightning speared through the sky and hit Plasmius with the accuracy of a guided missile, stunning Phantom. Looking down at his own hands with wide eyes, he caught the last vestiges of electricity as the energies settled with his emotions into the null void that was shock.

Seeing that Vlad had been struck _completely_ by surprise, he decided to make the best of his situation and retreat for now. Besides, if he didn't want that fruit-loop mucking his entire, delicately balanced deception to hell and back he needed to hide. And _that _was when the two translucent clock-hands appeared in mid-air, spinning to open a gateway to the ghost zone in mid-air.

Danny almost screamed in frustration as he flew straight into it.

_Would this day __**never**__ end!

* * *

_

Holy Crap...this was a long one.

Don't get used to this. The plot largely dictates how long my chapters needed to be and I needed to cover a _lot _of material in this chapter. Plus, it was fun to write. Well, I just want to reiterate that everyone who reviews is very important to this work _especially_ those who offer criticism. Opinions are nice, but if you catch things that are just _wrong_...like if I say that Jump City is in Virginia, call me on it! For those of you who don't know...Jump City is in California and the Governator will have a cameo in a later chapter...probably entitled "Method Acting (Or) That's Just Silly."

Some noticed that, yes, I pulled Cyborg's origin story directly from the Comics. This is true. Due to Danny's intervention, Elinore survived. In the comics, she died and this grew an even larger rift between Silas and Victor. The rift won't be as big this time around because Cyborg's not blaming his father for his 'new look.' I really take issue with the fact that the Teen Titans kind of glossed over this facet of his character with one measly sub-plot when he infiltrated HIVE.

As always, Enjoy the Ride!

-Slayer Out!


	6. The Worst Kinds of Surprises

Slayer Anderson

Hive Minded Part VI

A Teen Titans/Danny Phantom Crossover Fanfiction

10/24/09

* * *

Chapter 6-The Worst Kinds of Surprises

Or

To Defy Bad Karma

* * *

Phantom emerged from Clockwork's portal in the strange room where he supposed the ghost spent most of his time. It hadn't changed much sense the last time he'd been here, under much less pleasant circumstances. Danny looked up to the large viewing screen which, after rippling for a long moment, displayed him.

It was the battle he'd just endured and it looked even more desperate than he'd felt while fighting. His white trench coat was fluttering in gusting wind as he barreled around lightning bolts, truck-sized chunks of hail, and strangely _solid_ gales of air. Vlad's words hung in his ears as he looked around the fight-scene. Buildings, cars, and the roadways themselves were being utterly destroyed.

At least he didn't have to worry about positive PR this time around. He doubted anyone understood exactly how hard it was to simultaneously terrorize and save a city. Phantom sighed…

"Man, I really screwed up this time."

Everything suddenly stalled to complete halt and Danny felt the strange, absolute stillness that he'd come to associate that he'd come to associate with a all-encompassing time stop.

"I'm curious as to what made you say that, Danny. Your performance was quite laudable. No casualties, only a few minor injuries-"

"-and a few million in damages, half the town destroyed, and a city without power...if_ that's_ the I'm seeing the power station over in the corner of the screen." Danny stated in a depressed tone, turning to face the adult form of Clockwork just as he shifted to an old man.

"Which can be repaired, rebuilt, and recovered," Clockwork dismissed in that strange, lecturing tone that he used that seemed to echo throughout history. "Lives lost are lost forever. You have done a great deed today, young Phantom."

Danny sighed. "You're kidding, right? I can't take two steps without something trying to kill me, capture me, electrocute me, or blackmail me."

"We are seldom called to be great people and do great things at a time we feel is appropriate," Clockwork nodded. "That said, you do seem to have a certain magnetism for trouble about you. I am glad you will be going back to the HIVE Academy before long, it has fostered a great deal of growth in you."

Danny blinked, caught flat-footed. "I could have sworn you _didn't_ want me to go evil. There was something about the end of the world, a terrible future, and you know…_him!_"

Clockwork looked slowly over to the battered Fenton Thermos on display inside one of his most powerful stasis cells. He laughed gently, "Danny…you have more than earned your right to choose your own destiny. Right now, it is true, you are walking the knife's edge between light and dark, but it is not as dire as you seem to think it is."

Danny's head throbbed and he sat down in a seat that wasn't there a moment before. Giving Clockwork, now in his child form, a thankful glance he pressed his fingers to his temples to ward off the incoming headache. "Now I'm just confused."

The adult ghost nodded, smiling secretively. "While there is a chance of you falling to darkness, Danny, there is almost no danger of a cross-species genocide that will exterminate almost all life across two worlds. You have a choice, Danny, as you always have, but you will never again face becoming that dark shadow."

The absolute affirmation by the spirit of time itself alleviated months worth of self-doubt and insecurity. Suddenly, a weight was pulled off his shoulders that had almost suffocated him without him even realizing.

He almost wept with relief.

"Things are different now," Clockwork went on, smiling as a kindly old man. "Loss will affect you differently, your world has changed, and you have formed new bonds of friendship. I will also say that, should you allow yourself to be consumed, the world will not fall with you. There are heroes now that will stand in your way."

Danny looked up, confused once again. "They're here _now_? What do you mean? I thought I'd…he'd killed the Justice League in…in that time."

It wasn't exactly a comfortable thought and he'd tried not to dwell on it.

Clockwork nodded and gestured to the large screen before them. "Time is a fragile thing, Danny Phantom. Sometimes…_too_ fragile. When you went to that dark future, tell me…was there a ghost you _didn't_ see?"

The question was odd, Danny admitted as he searched his memories. Box Ghost…Lunch Lady(which was still gross, by the way)…Technis and Skulker, Spectra, Johnny… Then Phantom blinked as he looked at Clockwork, the ghost smiling widely as he moved through his cycle of ages.

"I didn't see you," Danny admitted quietly, puzzled over the fact.

"Do you not think it odd," Clockwork asked, "that on such an important occasion as your arrival into the future, that _I_, the ghost of time, would be absent?"

The timeless moment crawled by as understanding dawned on Phantom. Something akin to horror and disgust passed over his face; he swallowed dryly and tried to say something, but his voice failed him.

"You killed me," Clockwork affirmed. "Ghosts can be destroyed, Danny, and that man that you became did so to me. I am no egotist, but my death affected time more than any others…even your family's and friends' gruesome end. In that future that was all but set in stone, which was all but certain, the energies released when I expired changed the future, the present, and the past."

Danny stared at the child blankly, trying to understand. The difficulty must have shown on his face as Clockwork took pity on the teen. "Forget the logical fallacy of cause and effect for a moment, Danny. Believe that the future can affect the past. Among other things, my death altered the past of many of those you, today, call heroes."

The first inklings of realization started to dawn on the ghost-boy.

"The origin of a hero is such a delicate thing, as your own experiences with Desiree should have taught you," Danny nodded as Clockwork paused to allow him to remember Sam's 'wish-gone-wrong.' "Five minutes here and a child's parents never walk down a darkened alleyway. Another few moments and a planet obliterates a capsule carrying a small life to our own world. Those great destinies are shattered, the villains destined to oppose them doomed to a future of mediocrity…"

"Oh."

Really, there was nothing else to say. Shock was one thing, but this…the sheer _size_ of it threatened to destroy his mind trying to understand it. "But…why do I remember the Justice League, then? Shouldn't I…"

"Do not ask so much of yourself Danny," Clockwork chastised gently. "You may be powerful for your age, but none can stand against the will of time. The current reality has wiped away all memory of an Earth without Green Lanterns, The Joker, Superman, and the Titans."

"The Titans?" Danny asked, not recognizing the name.

"Ah," Clockwork chuckled. "You wouldn't know them I supposed. Not yet, anyway. Still, we have more to discuss than what has passed and what never was. That thermos on your waist, for instance…and the ghost it holds."

Danny automatically reached for the canister protectively. "Vortex? What about him?"

Clockwork tutted gently, shaking his head at Danny. "Have you forgotten so quickly the events that ended your fight? Didn't you wonder why I paused time merely to have a casual conversation with you?"

Danny sighed, the events of the day weighing on him as he tried to kick-start his mind. "Uhh…some of his power leaked into me, right? That's the only way I can explain the lightning bolt."

"Indeed," The adult Clockwork stated. "You have absorbed fully half of Vortex's power for which I must thank you. He will be much easier to contain now that his trial has finished in absentia and he has been remanded to my custody."

Phantom took the hint and handed over the canister to the child ghost, who drifted over to one of the massive gears that decorated his lair. Danny followed him warily. "I'm kind of drawing a blank on why you paused time, though."

"Because we are currently a few seconds _before_ you absorb those same powers," Clockwork stated. "With such an important moment in history, time is more…flexible. I pulled you out of that moment to explain a few things to you so that you do not level a city. Think of it as payment for services rendered in recapturing Vortex."

Danny nodded, allowing the Master of Time to continue.

"Vortex's powers have always been unstable and corrupting, which is part of the reason he is completely insane. I would apply caution to their use as they can be addicting and intoxicating, leading to delusions of grandeur, overconfidence, and an erosion of morality."

Phantom almost choked; _that_ wasn't vague at all, very contrary to the Master of Time's normal style of imparting knowledge.

"Furthermore, these powers are linked to your emotions. Your anger will produce violent gales and storms. Your sorrow will bring monsoons and icy deluges. Wrath and terror will breed cyclones of immense strength. Conversely, your happiness will clear skies. Joy will stabilize temperatures and love will dissipate hurricanes."

"Oh," Danny said, stunned for the second time in as many minutes. "What should I do? And…how do you know all this?"

The Master of Time smiled enigmatically and Danny almost slapped his forehead in frustration. _How indeed?_ How would the ghost who can see the future know what his powers would be?

Then Clockwork sighed, aging before Danny's eyes in more ways than one. "Danny, I have involved myself in your life more than almost any other individual in history. I am grateful beyond words that you would consider my advice, but…"

"But I am the Master of Time. I am not held to the same rules as the Observants, but I am not to meddle in your life like a god. Choice is sacrosanct to one such as I; I am not your conscience, your advisor, or your teacher. I do as much as I can only because you have saved my own life, an accomplishment unprecedented in the whole of existence."

Danny swallowed and nodded, knowing something of the bonds that held Clockwork. After all, there were rules imposed on him, too. Idly, he wondered if Clockwork would tell him who could impose restrictions on _him_ if he asked.

Something in the ghost's knowing gaze made him pass the opportunity by.

"I will leave you to your own thoughts now," Clockwork stated as he set the thermos down in a vault. "Take the portal to your left, it will open in your room. I will leave you with these thoughts, Danny…but do remember this: We make our own choices, but we must also live with them."

"Thanks," Phantom said, his voice deep with honesty as he touched the medallion around his neck with the stylized WC and stepped through the portal. Clockwork had always been a mystery to him and the fact that he'd more or less said 'do what you want, but I'll be watching,' lead Danny no closer to his true motives…if he even had any.

The ghost-boy resolved to leave the mystery for another day and get some sleep.

_Finally!

* * *

_

The next week saw Vlad's plans wiped clean.

All of his schemes had to be reevaluated, rethought, and double-checked. Daniel had turned into something that he could not predict. Something that he could not currently fathom, really. The _incident_ with Vortex had given the inexperienced teen power enough to match even his own!

Then there were Daniel's skills.

Focus, speed, strength, attack, defense, and the flexibility to use all to their maximum effect. Beyond moving towards mastering that _thrice-dratted_ ghostly wail of his, though, Daniel was a fair way to perfecting duplication if he could use it, even to create one, under battle conditions.

All of these meant the boy was gaining experience.

The worrisome thing, though, was that other than the front-page story Vlad had heard neither hide nor hair of Phantom. Until he'd done some digging. A scant few months ago there had been a string of very unusual bank robberies and one instance of young teen with white hair, green eyes, and a black jumpsuit that had not been identified at the time challenged by a pair of superheroes in the town of Dakota.

Combined with the recent robbery at STAR Labs…

It was a confusing picture that Daniel's activities painted, to say the least. Saving people, being accused of attempted murder, terrorizing a town, but putting down threats simultaneously. Then there was that long absence at some unnamed school to take into consideration, because it _had_ to be connected.

Vlad had begun to pull in resources, favors, and debts that he otherwise would have let lie. As one of the richest men in America, he had maintained an almost…_curiously_ low-profile and worked hard to do so. Now, outside forces were at work in his domain and he would have to face facts.

He couldn't exist in a vacuum.

So, with those favors he had gained information…insights, into the dealings of others to try and divine exactly _who_ had designs on his heir. The answers were disturbing. In his time away from the organizations of crime and villainy, they had flourished beyond his wildest imaginations.

Still, he wouldn't step foot in Gotham for his targets' names, birthdates, and home addresses. It had always proved a good course of action to steer clear of that city of madmen and devils. That was a step too far, even for him.

He had so far ruled out many of the more…extreme organizations. Even if they could find something to hold over Daniel, the boy didn't have the right attitude for the ruthless work necessary, blackmail or no. So, he'd reviewed what he knew on Daniel and came to the inescapable conclusion that the boy was not merely being turned into a minion or thief.

No…his increase in skills showed actual effort spent towards bettering his mental capabilities. It showed that whoever had Daniel…_they were teaching him_. To think that the little badger would submit to an authority other than his own for education on the subject of his powers…

Jealousy flared.

He _would_ find out who had stolen the boy from him!

A light _ping_ signaled yet another new message and Vlad clicked on it passively, not expecting much. After a few sentences, his eyes widened and his opposing hand slammed down on a hidden green button.

"Yes sir?"

Vlad smiled at the voice on the other end of the communications net. "Skulker, good. I have an observation mission for you. Report to my portal for information. Immediately."

* * *

When Danny looked back on that last week, he honestly didn't remember much. His meeting with Clockwork was the last clear moment before he woke up on the last day of his vacation. All he really remembered was Jazz crying and a turmoil of emotions cascading over all rational thought when he tumbled out of Clockwork's domain and into his room.

Jasmine Fenton was no fool.

She'd been through things that would scare most sane people shitless. She'd personally _faced_ things that would give most grown men heart attacks. But Danny, her little brother, the baby of the family…

He made her feel so _small_ sometimes.

Helpless, insignificant, powerless. He'd persevered through unfathomable odds time and time again. She'd always worried, ever since she found out what he was doing, that one time he wouldn't come back.

His last fight was the culmination of her fears and dread.

Danny had come back healthy and whole, but he wasn't _Danny_. She could see the barely restrained agony right behind his ice blue eyes. It was like he'd been hurt somewhere that she couldn't see, let alone hope to heal. More than that, though…

He was a blank slate.

There was nothing in his voice or face or gestures that had anything in common with her little brother. It was almost like a robot had replaced him the way he passed through the motions of each day. It scared her just how suddenly the change had occurred, and she couldn't do _anything_.

Phantom's secrets were hers to keep these days. She couldn't go to Sam and Tucker and still face Danny. Her mother and father were completely out of the question. The only other possibility was…Vlad, and she wasn't quite that desperate yet.

_Yet._

When Danny stepped into her room the morning before he'd planned to leave, she almost wept with relief when someone other than the soulless clone looked out his icy blue eyes. There was still something fundamentally wrong with that closed-off façade that seemed so alien on Danny's face.

"Hi," The ghost-boy said, his voice hoarse from disuse.

She hugged him compulsively and cried lightly into that big black coat he'd take to wearing everywhere. "What…happened?"

"I…absorbed some of Vortex, the weather ghost's, powers. I think I got too much, and it almost killed me. I just kind of…shut down trying to handle it."

"You had me so worried!" Jazz almost screamed, hugging her brother for dear life. Danny took a deep breath and let out a cold breeze of air that stirred about him and the room they were in. It was a close thing, but his control held.

"I'm sorry," Danny apologized and almost flinched at Jazz's intense scrutiny. "I'm…getting better."

"I don't want you to go back there," Jazz pleaded. "You're…not you Danny! I don't know what exactly happened and I don't expect you to tell me even if I ask, but this isn't healthy! You'll kill yourself at the rate you're going!"

"I'd rather it be me than you," Danny stated bluntly.

Jazz felt her heart drop to her feet.

"I'm going now…" Danny stated, ruthlessly crushing his guilt under a glacier of icy resolve. Idly, he slipped on a pair of clear eye protectors more common to a lab than casual wear. "Mom and Dad think I'm already gone, I just wanted to tell you not to worry. Dad forced the glasses on me…called them Fenton Spook Specks. He said they can track energy trails and lock onto temperature signatures…and that they're made of ecto-reactive materials like my coat so they don't need recharging." He was talking just to fill the empty space between them, just short of babbling. He needed to leave before his tenuous control shattered and he did something he regretted.

Jazz could only nod vacantly as Danny shifted to Phantom. The clear plastic of the Fenton Spook Specks flickered to solid black, looking more like a pair of sunglasses now than what they were originally designed as.

"I'll see you this summer Jazz. Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

As her brother vanished, Jazz waited a few long moments before staggering to her chair and collapsing. "Danny…you idiot." She'd underestimated her brother, but knew that she couldn't go to Sam and Tucker. He was right in that respect, at least. They were too rash…just like her brother.

She shook her head and reached for the phone.

_Now_ she was that desperate.

* * *

Ten paces left.

Turn.

Ten paces right.

Turn.

Blood scowled each time he passed the coffee table, despite the pacing helping him think. It was an excellent addition to his officer furniture…made of lacquered hardwood and lined with tasteful silver rather than gaudy gold. It also help that it contained a pressurized toxin that would kill anyone not matching his genetic signature within seconds.

But…it was not the innocent-looking coffee table that held his ire today.

No, that dubious honor belonged to the small device sitting atop it. It was a piece to his own personal project: the sonic disrupter. It was a very rare piece, one which he had all but resolved to venture forth and retrieve himself. Well, he had resolved to do so until Phantom appeared.

The ghost-boy was the largest obstacle to his plans and needed to be removed sooner or later. Sending him after the piece was a perfect way to accomplish that goal. Of course…he'd never actually _believed_ that Phantom would succeed. Granted, that hadn't stopped him from convincing the Headmistress that it would be an insurmountable task. The woman was cagey and vicious, but lacked a solid background in villainy to divine suitable…targets. The powerful psychic couldn't yet influence _her_, but was charismatic enough…when he cared to be, that the task was child's play.

Angrily, Blood stalked past his desk, grabbing the newspaper as he went. It was supposed to be _impossible_ for anyone save a select few accomplished villains to do so. The black and white print did what no student before Daniel had dared…

It defied him.

The paradoxical advancement and delay of his plans was unexpected, but not completely unexpected. There would need to be allowances made, but his backup plan was already in place.

His eyes glowed a burning red as he turned to the other figure standing in the room as she stepped forward from the shadows. Black and navy dress, violet stockings, and two pink horns of hair…

"Now Jinx, tell Brother Blood all you know about your dear classmate."

There was a moment of resistance before Jinx's face slackened.

"Yes sir…"

Blood smiled, _ah the joys of an obedient student_.

* * *

If he'd thought being famous was bad before, now he _knew_ it.

Most of the previous quarter's inductees and veteran students were used to him by now, but the few newbies were…_irritating_, Danny thought as he signed another newspaper article.

He'd been thankful for the few days that it took to fly back to the HIVE in his ghost form. It let him clear his mind and begin to actually _deal_ with Vortex's transplanted power.

_No_, Danny corrected himself, _they're mine now. I have to deal with my powers._

It had stressed his control greatly to have that conversation with Jazz and he'd caused a small hail storm shortly after he was out of town to relieve the building pressure inside him. It was at once both like and unlike mastering his ice powers. He remembered when he'd just begun to utilize them, back when he'd fought Undergrowth and that was the strongest comparison he could make between the two.

'Inherently unstable,' Clockwork had said.

The phrase translated to trying to use them for the first time, _every time_ he tapped into them. He actually didn't really blame Vortex for going crazy now. If he'd been anything like sane before his powers developed, the rush of raw power that accompanied each emotion, _every_ emotion…

It was disorienting, sickening, painful, mixed with something like what he imagined the most powerful narcotic in the world felt like. Each and every time he gave in it was that much harder to stop that feeling of intense _pleasure_ the next time the urge came. But, he had something that Vortex didn't have.

In his desperation to control the power, he'd turned the ice, the power that he _had_ mastered, and frozen himself. The deathly chill so common in his ghost form was now with him even when he was human, but it had worked.

He'd smothered his emotions and the elemental furies that were empowered by them, leaving him with precious peace of mind and body. Still, the tactic had limitations, especially when he was caught off-guard or during a distinctly powerful surge of emotion. However, there were advantages…

"You know…you could just ask and quit stalking me. I don't really like it when people follow me around," Danny stated as he stopped in the empty hallway abruptly.

Without the distractions emotions offered, his senses were almost _preternaturally sharp_. The girl who had been following him squeaked quietly and ducked behind a corner, her eyes growing wide. Phantom sighed and turned to regard her cautiously.

After all, this was the HIVE.

Her reasons for following him might not be as simple or innocent as an autograph.

She had a toned body and wore a yellow and black top with a pair of tight black pants over ebony-colored skin. Her hair was drawn up in buns and her eyes were nervous as she stared him down. Or tried to anyway. Idly, Danny noted the pair of clear-translucent membranes that looked very much like insectoid wings.

He imagined he must have looked imposing in the white trench coat, black spook specks that didn't impede his vision at all, despite their coloration. One of the reasons he wore the coat was to artificially inflate his image, which wasn't much because of his scrawny figure. The other reason?

He looked _cool_.

He never said it was a particularly good reason.

Danny's eyes widened and he clamped down on his ice powers, cutting off the ego-inflating power boost coming from his new abilities and turned his attention back to the girl. "Well? I need to get to class so if you want something, speak up."

The other teen stepped out from behind the corner warily and stared at him a moment before speaking. "You're…Phantom, right? I'm Bumblebee and-"

"-you're new here," Danny nodded. "Are you lost? Or do you want an autograph?"

Bumblebee blushed and Danny couldn't tell if it was in anger or embarrassment. "No! It's just…you're an A rank student, right?"

"3.5 GPA, 3 out-of-class projects, and a freshman," Danny recited patiently. "People know me and they like to talk behind my back. I don't mind that, I'm used to it. If you're trying to ask me for something, get to the point."

Bumblebee bit her lip and steeled herself. She had a mission… "The combat drills for beginners are too easy and no teacher wants to sponsor or train a freshman. You're the only freshman who can pull rank to get someone into the more difficult combat drills."

Danny stared at her, surprised that she actually had the guts to ask. He'd been wondering how he'd get some combat experience with his powers, preferably against someone who wouldn't be out to _kill_ him. "Meet me in practice hall 13 at seven tonight. If you're as good as you say you are, I'll see about sponsoring you."

Bumblebee's eyes lit up and she literally hovered with excitement as she bowed respectfully. "Thank you sir, and…"

Danny sighed as he took the front page of the newspaper and signed it. "My name is Danny, don't call me sir. If you absolutely have to: Phantom."

"Yes sir!"

Danny twitched and a spark of static electricity, miniature lightning, sparked between his fingers as he walked to class. A new fangirl…great.

The twitch only got worse when he got to the class he'd actually been looking forward to and been promised a spot in months ago: Terrain and Environment Awareness. The leather-clad Catwoman was stretched out on her desk just as she had been the day he'd last appeared in her class, but there was…someone else there too.

Her costume was bisected vertically and horizontally into four parts which were colored an alternating red and black. Her face was either painted or masked in white with a red and black jester's hat with bells topping it off. Actually, no. The thing that really topped it off was the psychotic grin that stretched across her face as she polished a rather large gun.

"Hello Danny…so nice to see you again. Don't think I haven't checked up on how exemplarily you've been doing so far. This is the one I told you about, Harl." Catwoman said, purposefully caressing each syllable with seductive tones.

Danny clamped down on the ice, crushing his rebellious instincts.

Harley Quinn practically bounced off the small stool she'd been sitting on and pranced up to him with unabashed curiosity. "So you're the one that's got kitty-cat in such a snit, huh? Don't look like much to me."

Phantom looked to Catwoman for direction.

Big mistake.

What happened next would teach him to never take his eyes off the harlequin ever again. She struck faster than a viper on crack and pulled out an enormous hammer from _God knows where_, and brought it down on his head with all the power and precision of the rail driver John Henry of folk lore fame.

There were two reasons why the strike didn't kill him on the spot. His heightened senses detected the movement before his brain consciously registered it and he'd been practicing the move he'd used against Freakshow to the point where he could perform it as easily as breathing.

Harley Quinn's hammer struck a duplicate as Phantom floated, invisible and intangible beside her. Irritation welled up and he didn't quite squash it in time as lightning snapped from his palm and into the costumed villainess. The shock (mental on Phantom's part, at least), overrode his concentration on his phased state and he reappeared as Quinn was flung into the opposite wall.

He took a deep breath and suppressed ever _ounce_ of guilt he felt over the incident. She'd gotten what she'd ask for. Turning to Catwoman, he was idly surprised she didn't look at all angry that he'd just shocked her friend. Instead, she just looked curious.

"It seems some of you information is out of date, isn't it Danny?"

Phantom shrugged slightly, "Evil Puberty."

Catwoman grinned…cattily. They both looked over to Harley when they heard her stirring. The woman's body was still twitching with excess electricity as she stood and held up a tiny white flag. "Damn, you kick like a mule for someone six feet under, ghosty!"

The harlequin stared at Phantom another moment, then fixated on the duplicate. "Kitty-cat…I think I need the nurse, I'm seeing double."

Selina pressed a hand over her eyes in a gesture of long-suffering exasperation and Danny dismissed the duplicate, causing Harley to blink owlishly.

Phantom tried his best to ignore the class' wide-eyed staring.

As it turned out, Harley Quinn, legendary assistant to The Joker, was an adjunct professor on staff for just one term, teaching a pass-fail lecture on Lairs and Deathtraps. The class was…_encouraged_ to attend.

Great. Just great.

* * *

Ahh, another chapter done and I'm about dead on my feet.

Once again, I'd like to thank everyone who's reviewed and positively or negatively commented. I enjoy reading reviews of any sort. One pretty much global question to answer before I go from person to person. You all asked for new ghost powers...yeah, they're permanent. Not quite what you expected, is it? By the way...I have no idea what the deal is with the Danny possessing a bat, but...no. Just no. That is silly, bizarre, and I absolutely refuse to walk down that specific insanity. If I get some insane amount of requests for it, I will write a one-shot and post it under a different title so that people can have the option of including it in the story.

Bumblebee: Yes, she's a little weird. There are reasons for this. Remember, she was at the HIVE for at least a year before she really got any screen time. That's more than enough time for a person's characteristics to completely change...as should be evident by this story so far.

I'd like to reiterate that, if I didn't get to you personally or missed you, your review is very much appreciated and was read and taken into account for the future of this story.

As always, Slayer-Out!


	7. A Retrospective on Bad Luck

Slayer Anderson

Hive Minded VI(1/2)

A Teen Titans/Danny Phantom Crossover Fanfiction

10/29/09

* * *

Chapter 6.5- A Retrospective on Bad Luck

Or

You Knew it had to Happen-The Plot Exposition Chapter

* * *

It was days like this that made Jinx doubt whether or not the world was round, let alone whether or not she would succeed in her primary career path. She'd been though dozens of life-threatening situations, assault-level missions, and stolen more money than most people saw in a lifetime. She wasn't a household name or a legend, _yet_, but she was well on her way to revealing herself to the fame and infamy that a public appearance would generate.

And, she'd have to do it with _these_ idiots!

Jinx scowled at the mess of sour cream and onion dip, spray-cheese, and ultra-hot salsa that coated every conceivable surface of their team-room. Including her teammates. She _really, really_ didn't want to know.

"Clean it up, or I will castrate you."

The seemingly idle threat pushed them into motion as if the hounds of Hell were at their backs as she retreated from the room with a building headache. The walk to her room was short, especially when one considered the nearly empty halls caused by Thanksgiving break.

_Families…_

The word was sour in her mouth and the root cause of the unusual loneliness that dotted her being. She was unused to the feelings that this holiday generated and she knew why. Gizmo and Mammoth, idiots that they were, were her _teammates_. They'd have her back when it came to a fight, but their temperaments were just so different that they didn't willingly associate with each other beyond practice matches and lunch.

Phantom, on the other hand…

Phantom was…a friend.

The door to her room slid shut and she collapsed onto the bed. Pink eyes stared at the ceiling unblinkingly as the bad luck witch contemplated the enormity of that statement. She hadn't had a friend in…in…

Jinx sat up suddenly, "When _was_ my last friend?"

The silence of her room was not comforting and she stood up to pace as she thought through her life to this point. It was a series of daring escapes, robberies, and dull points in between. Sure, she'd had running buddies on the streets when she was a kid, but…

Growing up on the streets had taught her that friendships were tenuous at best. They were fragile things that didn't stand the test of time and more often killed someone than not. She'd always rather been lonely and alive than betrayed and dead.

Then Phantom.

Idly, she wondered if the rest of her life would be defined as 'before' and 'after' Phantom and she met. She really hoped not. It would mean she'd been going soft. Soft didn't get you fortune or fame.

Soft got you dead.

It wasn't that she and Phantom were very much alike, either. Well, they liked the same food…and movies…and jokes…

Jinx shook her head dismissively. Fine, so they were a bit alike. Still, they had differing opinions on almost everything else. The disagreed on morality, ethics, tactics, strategy, and music…

_Oh God_, but did they disagree on music. She didn't know who had been pumping his ears full of that emo-tastic, pop rock, but she would have her revenge! It had really been something to watch his face as she introduced him to Classical, Celtic, and Big Band. He'd fought her, but she was slowly winning him over.

Jinx frowned as she sat back down on her bed.

It wasn't only that they had so many differences, either. It was more the fact that they could discuss something like civilized human beings without trying to kill each other. She'd never seen Mammoth and Gizmo do more than grunt at each other before embarking on another stunt that would prove Gizmo's IQ couldn't possibly be as high as they said it was.

Their study sessions had devolved into debates on every conceivable topic more often than they'd stayed _on_ the topic of Danny's homework. _Danny's_ homework.

Not Phantom's. _Danny's._

Jinx sighed. She really _was _in it deep, wasn't she?

It was more than the fact that they, despite _all_ evidence to the contrary, meshed well, though. It was that he was everything she wanted to be. Everything she dreamed of being! And…she was finding out exactly how hollow that dream was.

To hear Danny talk…it was like he _hated_ being branded the villain. He was competent, terrifying, and immensely powerful, but he found most outright acts of evil just distasteful. Still, they agreed that most superheroes weren't worth their salt.

Jinx had to admit, if there was one thing that convinced her of exactly where Danny stood in terms of legality, it was to hear him talk of superheroes. He was especially bitter towards Static and Gear, having had a personal confrontation with their carelessness.

To think that he'd actually _saved_ those people, though…

It was classic Phantom, and one of the reasons that none of the major supers had bothered with his city. There were minor injuries, for sure, but no one had ever been outright killed by any of Phantom's stunts. Plus, until recently, no one had _seriously_ believed Phantom was an actual ghost. Everyone was sure he was some kind of meta-human, but…

Footage of the ghost-zone changed all that.

Phantom was unique for a villain. He had morals, ethics, and self-imposed rules that he went to great pains not to cross. It was as if he was a living oxymoron, a _good_ _villain_. The term made her smile…until she saw the day's news scroll across her browser's window on her open laptop.

Accused of _murder!_

"Danny, you dumbass, what'd you do _now?_" Jinx scowled and stood up. She'd get to the bottom of this if she had to go to the headmistress! After all…

It's what a _friend_ would do.

"Damn it…you'll be the death of me."

* * *

Brother Blood nodded as the pink witch finished listing her concerns. 'When I advised Phantom to come to you for aid, I hadn't thought the two of you would become such fast friends."

Jinx remained silent as Blood mulled the matter over.

Finally the psychologist stood and removed a piece of technology from one of nooks around his office and set it down on his coffee table. Jinx looked at it as Blood turned his attention to the teen.

"When Phantom stole this for the HIVE, I'd requested him specifically, Jinx. I'd thought that the trial would either kill him or allow him to be captured by the authorities. Imagine my surprise when he emerged not only unscathed, but accused of murder. You see, I've authored more than a few psychological reports for the Headmistresses about our resident ghost and…oh, now don't look so surprised."

Jinx's gaping mouth must have caught his attention.

"The Headmistress is very curious about Phantom. He's very unique among our students and she needs him to stay long enough to lend credence to the belief that the HIVE is an above-par training facility for villainy."

Gears began to turn in Jinx's mind as she tensed her muscles in preparation to make a run for it. Blood's attention never wavered from her, though.

"I, though, am not so…enraptured by your new friend. You see, I have plans for this…academy. I see such potential in this disorganized mess called a school. The students need a proper leader to drive them forward. Someone ambitious. Someone insightful. Someone…"

"You want to take over the school," Jinx stated quietly. "Why try to kill Danny, then?"

"Such a child," Blood sighed. "Phantom is…very unique. I agree with our august Headmistress in that regard, at least. He has resisted my efforts at control too long. I do not know if it is because of his spectral state, a specific temperament, or the energy he manipulates."

"You're just going to get rid of him because you can't control him?" Jinx asked, surprised. "I thought he was one of the best freshmen students?"

"Indeed," Blood nodded. "But it is a matter of gambling for a single person or folding when I have the advantage of a small army. Phantom is just…unlucky."

"Than what about me?" Jinx asked. "You can't believe that I'll just standby and allow you to kill him."

Blood smiled.

It wasn't a very nice smile. "Oh, my dear, you will do much more than standby. You'll be helping me."

Jinx's eyes widened as she shot from the chair, hex bolt charged in her hand.

Blood's eyes glowed an angry red as he asserted his control over the witch, her body falling like a puppet with it's strings cut as his mental fingers clawed deep into her brain. Blood smiled as she stood up under his will and stared vacantly ahead.

The psychic nodded, "Now. Tell me everything you know about Phantom."

Jinx tried to fight the words that poured from her mouth, but an implacable grip on her mind squeezed more information from her time and again. By the time it was over, she had told Blood everything she'd felt, thought, and even speculated. She was sure she would have been crying.

Blood nodded at the data and looked over the small device again, searching for inspiration. "Emotionally fragile. Closed off. An…isolationist personality. Hm…maybe…yes."

Trapped behind her eyes and ears. Jinx wondered what the man would command her to do. "Phantom trusts you and your powers are one of the few I've seen to affect him to any great extent."

Jinx cringed, remembering the time they had tried a sparring match.

_Tried_, because the moment she'd hit him with a hex bolt…all hell had broken loose. Every power he had seemed to fluctuate wildly. He'd phased in and out of the visible spectrum several times, launched ecto-blasts unknowingly and unwillingly across the entire practice hall and frozen most of the ceiling to the point where it cracked in half.

Yes, her powers affected Phantom.

In fact, near the end, something _strange_ had happened. Two white rings had flickered in and out of existence, before fading away and leaving Phantom collapsed on the ground. She'd been by his bedside for a week after that.

She _would never_ do that to Phantom again.

Jinx's pixie-like frame shook with concentration as she tried to throw off whatever Blood was doing to her. Pink hex-lightning crawled over her body, the charges blowing out lights above her and buckling the floor tiles. Blood's eyes widened and he stepped back as he focused all of his mental strength on the witch.

Finally, after a tenuous moment where the atmosphere was thick with power, the air began to clear slowly as the charge flowed back into Jinx. The pink glare that had nearly threatened to overwhelm the red light succumbed to Blood's influence.

"Stupid child," Blood cursed. "Know your place or you'll be too much trouble to keep alive." Sighing, the mad psychologist took another route. "You are to deceive Phantom. Infatuation, lust, love," Blood snorted derisively, "I don't care. Make him drop his guard and then knock him out and bring him to me. This is your directive."

* * *

One Week and the Other Side of a Continent Later:

* * *

Jazz's hand wrapped around the ecto-gun before conscious control could kick in. The gun was up and pointing at Skulker before he so much as twitched. Skulker's…or at least his suit's, eyes widened as he looked the red-head over.

"Just as troublesome as your brother."

"I'll have you know that I'm at least twice as much trouble," Jazz said tightly, her grip almost, but not quite pulling the trigger. "I came to see Masters, not his pet attack dog."

Skulker frowned. "I was just leaving, wench."

"Door's that way," Jazz jerked her head, pointedly not lowering the gun.

The ghost smirked. "As your brother would know…_we_ don't need doors."

Jazz watched as Skulker faded through the wall, disappearing as he went. Her frown deepened as she walked deeper into the Packers-themed mansion, past the waiting room, and into Vlad Master's private office. The décor was tasteful, cold, and completely impersonal…just what she'd expect from the man in question.

He smiled chillingly from his place behind her desk and gestured to a seat opposite his. "Jasmine. How nice of you to be so punctual. I'm sorry I didn't meat you at the door, but I thought you'd be able to make your own way."

Translation from the language of the sinister: _I remember what happened the __**last**__ time you were here and I'm not about to forget it_.

Jazz sighed. "I want to help Danny. I think he's got himself into something…bad."

"I never took you as one for sarcastic understatement, Jasmine." Vlad complimented. "Does the name HIVE Academy ring any bells." At her nod, he continued. "The Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination. There have been several incarnations over the years, but the latest is a school set up in Jump City. I'm not sure exactly where of course, but Daniel would surely know. He is a student, after all."

Jazz felt her throat go dry at the full iteration of the organizations. "We need to get him out of there."

"Agreed," Vlad stated. "I will ask for a truce until such time as Daniel is back in Amity Park, safe and sound."

"Then?" Jazz asked, leaning forward.

Vlad shrugged. "Nothing. We will be back to the status quo, as it were. I attempt to turn him to 'the dark side,' and you will follow loyally in his shadow. Of course, should you change your mind about my point of view in the meantime, I always have room for you here at the manor."

Jazz made a face. "Not likely, but fine. I agree to a truce until Danny's back."

"Now, an exchange of information. Tell me everything you know of the HIVE and I will reciprocate. We will work together to save Daniel from that damnable heroic instinct he has developed despite my prompting."

"Agreed," Jazz sighed. "Danny came home for Thanksgiving two weeks ago and he seemed…really confident. I remember him talking about gym class…"

The millionaire nodded, his attention focused on Jazz's words intently.

Vlad sat back in his chair, his fingers folded in thought while his eyes glazed over. Jazz shifted uncomfortably despite knowing that he was gazing off into the distance, not looking _at her_. He talked about some of his own information and Jazz had given her own viewpoint on it, but then he'd delved deep into his own thoughts, formulating a plan.

"I have Skulker scouting out Jump City right now. He'll make an organized search for young Daniel and report back once he's found the HIVE. He knows the range of the boy's 'ghost sense' and should be able to stay unnoticed."

Jazz frowned deeply. "You're sure he'll be able to…restrain himself?"

Vlad snorted. "He knows who holds his leash. I will be most…displeased if he does not follow my instructions during this mission."

The teen frowned. "That creepiness aside, I don't want Danny's cover to be blown either. If they figure out who he is…"

Vlad nodded, conceding the point. "I still find it strange how they could mistake the boy for a villain. Save for the periodic bout of teenage angst and that episode during last spring…which I still don't really understand…Daniel has been an annoying perfect hero."

Jazz bit her lip and Vlad blinked at the nervous gesture. "Ah…so you do know. Many ghosts are very curious how futuristic versions of themselves…or their child…showed up in the past. Clockwork, the Master of Time, is not known for his…absent-mindedness."

Jazz shook her head. "You can ask Danny when we get him back. If he wants you to know, he'll tell you."

Vlad rolled his eyes. "Child, Daniel would like me to know _nothing_. If we leave our actions up to the whims of your brother, we should dissolve this meeting now. I am of the opinion that _any_ information on Daniel will help our cause. If not for my sake, then for his; tell me what happened."

The red-head sighed and looked at Masters for a long moment. "Danny's going to yell at me anyway for even _thinking_ of talking to you. You really don't care that much about Danny, do you? You just want him on your side."

Vlad snorted. "My dear, money has bought me many things in life. Wealth, fame, power…but not family. Did you know I tried to get over Maddie? Did you know that I tried to…_love_ someone, after the loss of your mother?"

Jazz blinked, startled by the turn of the conversation.

"It's true," the millionaire stated, standing and walking to the large window to his left. His posture straightened and he posed in a carefully sculpted manner which best served to highlight his 'tragic and misguided' side. "After my disfiguring accident, caused by your _idiot father_, I roamed the country, trying to find someone who could mend my shattered soul."

"When I was released from the hospital, I withdrew to Gotham, to attend college far from the painful memories. It was there that I not only perfected my ghostly powers, but also courted the heart of Barbara Kean. This was, of course, a great many years before the infamous Batman took up residence in the city. I was free to overshadow and steal whatever I might…often using hopeless dupes as my stooges."

Jazz nodded, entranced as she watched the man bare his soul.

"When I botched my first alleyway robbery and the couple died, I was short-tempered and angry. I yelled at Barbara for pestering me with something. I remember she wanted to tell me something, but…she left me that night. I tried to talk to her again, but she'd already found someone else."

The teenager in Jasmine Fenton was horrified by the casual mention of death, but the psychologist in her thrived on the wave of detailed analysis that Vlad was dishing out. Between the seeming betrayal Jack Fenton had dealt him and his own unknowing destruction of his second relationship…no wonder he was so dissociated from his peers. 'What happened afterwards?"

"I fled Gotham, taking refuge in the small store of wealth I'd accumulated during that time. It became the building block of my future empire and the rest…as they say, is history." Vlad sighed, tears in his eyes.

Jazz felt herself drawn to the strange, dispassionate villain and reminded herself that this was _Vlad_ _Masters_, not a patient to be mentally dissected. The man was a master of deception and it wouldn't do to give him an inch of pity, lest he draw her into his manipulations.

It was pity, of course.

Wasn't it?

Vlad shook his head clear of the memories. "Is it so wrong, then, Jasmine, for me to seek out the only other of my kind, a half ghost, in the world? I can help Daniel through the trying times he will experience with his powers! Think how easier the transition would have been with a mentor to teach him!"

"It doesn't make it right," Jazz argued. "But I can understand you, if not condone your actions. How about a deal then?"

"A deal?" Vlad asked, intrigued. "Whatever could I offer you Jasmine, that could make up for the loss of your brother's trust?"

"Don't rub it in." Jazz frowned. "I want to try to psychoanalyze you, Mr. Masters. I want to try and help you work through your problems and resolve your history with my father and mother."

Vlad smiled, suddenly amused by the notion. "And if I allow you to try and talk me out of taking my just revenge…you'll tell me exactly what happened to make Danny so reticent to even come in contact with me?"

He pondered the idea for a moment before dismissing it. "I don't need anyone to _understand_ me Jasmine. Besides, I doubt the information would be worth _that_ much of my time."

Jazz shrugged and decided to bait the hook. "Oh well, I suppose the possible genocide of the human race isn't _that_ interesting. You're right…not worth your time at all."

The millionaire tilted his head to the teenager slowly, trying to make out any deception. For a long moment, their stares met in silent competition. Then, Vlad nodded quietly and pulled out a small, leather-bound notebook. "Touche, Jasmine. How about…Wednesdays and Sundays? Around…two to five? We can go over plans for Daniel's recovery after the meetings."

Jazz blinked, surprised it had worked. "But…I have school."

Vlad waved the objection off. "Principal Ishiyama will cede to a bribe-I mean, donation to the school. Rest assured, I could have your diploma delivered within the hour with the right application of funds."

Jazz cocked her head as the idea filtered through it, piquing her interest at the thought of never having to deal with Dash Baxter again. "Really? I mean, that's completely immoral. Not to mention impossible."

Vlad raised an eyebrow, sensing her repressed interest. "Would you like Valedictorian with your order?"

Jazz snorted lightly, her humor fading as Vlad reached for the phone.

* * *

Wow, I did an entire chapter without the main character.

Why? You may ask. Well, I needed to do some serious thinking before I progressed the plot very much more. Certain events needed precise planning, characters needed fleshing out, etc, etc... So, this chapter was born to tide most of you avid readers over. The purpose was two-fold: Jinx needed more screen time and Jazz and Vlad needed a plotting session. Originally, I was going to gloss over these factors, but some of my reviewers...that's right, you had an effect on the story...pointed out that Danny is getting a little Out-of-Character. Re-reading my work, I agree, to a point. These situations are so alien that Danny is responding in different ways than he normally would. That said, I do need to make a more concerted effort to create more familiar situations that represent Danny as still being a bit of an out-of-control teenager with more issues than Playboy. Stupidity is, as much as we sometimes hate it, a central theme in Danny's character.

So far, much of what Danny's been doing can be explained by the strange situations he's been encountering and the sheer insanity of some of his interactions. The surprise factor shouldn't be discounted in fictions like this. Still, now that things are settling, the plot has returned and...you'll see.

On a minor note, there was a bit of confusion about the last chapter. Discussing the time-space continuum always seems to do that...hm. Anyway, this universe is functionally identical to the DC Universe up until the origin stories of the Titans. Superman is here, Batman exists, and all the others you know and love. Danny Phantom's universe is functionally identical up to the bit with the Ghost Writer. I think it's just a bit too silly to take seriously, so that's where the cut-off point happens. Case in Point: Vlad is not the mayor of Amity Park. Why? Danny was at HIVE instead of picking a fight with him. The fight never escalated, and Vlad never ran for mayor.

Some of this chapter was an extrapolation of the events that were foreshadowed in chapter six and I admit to that being a kind of cop-out to extrapolate Jinx's character. As to Vlad's backstory...that's completely **non-cannon**. My idea. Totally. And for those of you who think I'm hinting at Vlad being somehow involved in Batman's history, you're wrong. Completely and totally incorrect. I have absolutely no idea where you got it and you shouldn't think those thoughts ever again. ;)

**If you aren't specifically mentioned, thank you for the reviews and comments, I read each and every one.**

Oh, and kudos if you can guess who Barbara Kean is.

As always, hoped you enjoy and...

-Slayer Out!


	8. School Daze Part II: The Deception

Slayer Anderson

HIVE-Minded VII

A Danny Phantom/Teen Titans Crossover Fanfiction

10/28/09

* * *

Chapter 7-School Daze Part II: The Deception

Or

The Beginning of the End

* * *

Sweat trickled down the back of his neck as he tensed each and every muscle in his body and slowly relaxed them. The intensity of emotions welling from within him was almost achingly intense, especially given the current…situation.

Pink eyes an inch from his own sparkled with destructive joy as they neared their target. An equally colorful tongue darted out to lick her lips as the distanced closed even tighter, unnerving Phantom greatly. The anxiety of the moment dropped his Adam's apple as he swallowed, leaving his mouth dry and scratchy.

Suddenly, their lips met.

All things considered, he'd expected Jinx to be more…exuberant. Her touch was timid and wary as it was, making him fearful of moving a muscle lest she turn tail and run. Then, she pulled away and it was over.

"See you later."

The sheer surreal insanity of the situation left Phantom standing in the doorway to his room, stunned beyond belief in the center of a circle of frosty metal that encompassed the nearby floor, walls, and ceiling. He'd driven the ice into overtime to prevent him from destroying the HIVE…not that that would be a _bad_ thing necessarily, just that he'd get blamed for it. Still, the physical elation that he felt on having his first _real_ kiss (fake-out make-outs don't count) was…exhilarating.

So much so that he was still standing there when Bumblebee walked by five minutes later and stopped, blinking at the scene. Her eyes scanned Phantom once, then a cautious eyebrow was raised as she called the ghost-boy's attention to something he'd been to busy to observe until now.

"You…do know your pants fell down…right, sir?"

Danny blinked.

Twice.

With deliberate calmness and a complete disregard for the embarrassing blush covering his face, Danny reached down and pulled up his pants and turned to go into his room.

'Wait. Don't go! You were going to test me!"

Danny stopped for a moment and nodded, as if reminding himself. "Go ahead, I'll be along in a moment."

Bumblebee blinked, then nodded and started to step away from the doorway as it closed. Her skin prickled as the barometric pressure dropped dramatically all around her and the displaced air sounded loudly as thunder rocked the surrounding walls.

Bumblebee cut and run.

* * *

Danny's walk to the practice hall was one of turmoil and confusion. He'd expected his life to get _less_ complicated, rather than _more_ after his return to HIVE. Things were relatively simple here. He primarily kept to himself and his few friends, did his assignments and searched for things to fill the wee hours of the night when he didn't exert himself enough to sleep.

It was ironic in some respects: he had to get blackmailed to a school where evil was a way of life to learn to really apply himself. Of course, the threat of his family and friend's deaths was a significant factor in motivating himself.

At any rate, he'd been completely blindsided by Jinx's…

He didn't know what to call it. He'd only been back a few days yet and she'd already announced a desire to…to…

A strong breeze swept through the corridor and Danny blushed as he viciously repressed the memories of the words Jinx had whispered into his ear. It had come out of nowhere! Then again, Jinx had never been known for her subtlety. Still, what could prompt her to ask for a date? Hell, it had taken him and Sam at least a week to make eye contact after the incident with Ember.

The fact that Jinx came unexpectedly was the only reason that he hadn't answered the door in a dress and been horribly humiliated in front of Bumblebee. As it was, the curse of fallen pants was something he could live with.

It meant living with the embarrassment, too, but…

Still…

When Phantom met her at practice hall 13 he was completely composed, his face blank of all emotion save for a slight flush. She opened her mouth to ask, but Danny fixed her with a set of glowing green eyes visible even through his sunglasses that clearly stated that the topic _wasn't_ up for discussion.

She lowered her gaze respectfully as Danny entered an access code and let her in. "Thank you for giving me this chance, sir."

Danny nodded absently, his mind still elsewhere.

"I was…uhh, wondering, sir, if you had any pointers on how to be a good villain? I got really lucky when I was accepted and I want to be the best I can be." Bumblebee said fervently. It was best, after all, that Danny assume she was just a zealot asking for advice from a legend like himself.

Phantom raised an eyebrow. "You really don't want my advice."

Bumblebee blinked. "But…you're so successful! I don't think anyone else could have pulled off that STAR heist! Couldn't you just give me a hint or two?" Butter him up and he might talk, villains were like that.

Danny frowned, ice flaking off his jumpsuit as his concentration waned. After a long pause he looked at Bumblebee, "They _are_ out to get you."

Bumblebee blinked, taken aback by the black humor and overt sarcasm in his tone. "Who? Who's out to get…you?"

Danny grinned tiredly. "Everyone. In my experience, everyone is out to get you. Paranoia is a good lifestyle choice for people in our profession. You'll hear Brother Blood talk about 'trusting no one' in his Psych class. It's good advice."

"Oh," the black-skinned girl said, chilled by the revelation. "I…didn't think of it like that. So…you're out to get me too…spooky?"

Danny snorted in humor at the nickname and the room immediately felt brighter, warmer. He was glad that she was mellowing, he couldn't stand much more of that 'sir' nonsense. "I'm out to get everyone, whether I want to or not."

Bumblebee blinked at the non-answer. "Why do I get the feeling you're not like everyone else here? You seem…different."

"Probably because I am," Phantom stated, distinctly uncomfortable with the turn the conversation had taken. "Besides, if I were a hero, I wouldn't have been accused of murder, would I?"

Bumblebee's eyes grew very wide at that, her muscles tightening in shock. "I…never said you _were_ a hero."

Phantom stilled, his mind blanking before a surging wave of panic rushed forth. Images of his family, his friends, and his town in ruins _again_ flashed before his mind's eye. As Bumblebee opened her mouth to say something, Phantom rushed forward, his hand charged with ecto-energy, bent on taking the initiative.

Bee's mind hadn't rebooted yet from the surprise and Phantom's offensive caught her completely off-guard. The ecto-enhanced punch hit her solidly in the jaw, throwing her a good ten feet. The physical violence knocked her mind back to working order and she retreated to a smaller form to dodge the follow-up ecto-blasts.

"Sorry about this," Phantom stated, his voice tight. "But you should understand what happens if word gets out."

Bumblebee swerved violently, dodging the green blasts and drawing her two cestus from behind her back. Charging them, she fired off a volley of stinging blasts and watched in shock as Phantom's body seemed to dissolve into amorphous mist, weave around the blasts, and then reform.

"Listen for just a minute! I just want to-!"

"-don't even try, I've seen what happens when fighters monologue," Phantom interrupted, a spray of ice erupting from his hands as his temper flared and the winds in the room became turbulent.

Bumblebee's small form moved with all the quickness of the insect she was impersonating as she flickered through the veritable avalanche of cold her opponent threw at her. "Damn it! Listen to me spooky!"

"Not likely," Danny snorted, duplicating himself twice. He wouldn't normally take the risk of going that far, but a third of his power was enough to handle Bumblebee. Duplication was still a risky maneuver, but he couldn't risk her escape.

Bumblebee's eyes widened again as Danny split into three separate copies. _So this was the prodigy she'd heard so much about_. The three surrounded her, hovering at different levels as the almost cyclonic winds ruffled their trench coats. The black stare of his visored eyes encircled by the corona of spectral energy leaking from them created a feeling of impending doom that seemed to choke the very air around them.

"If you would only listen to me for one minute!" Bumblebee yelled over the roaring winds. "I'm a plant, damn it! I'm a spy!"

Clouds manifested themselves as lightning began to arc across the high ceiling. Bumblebee gulped nervously at the ominously blank expression on Phantom's face. The pale skin seemed cut from a block of ice as he stared _through_ her.

"Give me one good reason I should believe you. I want proof."

Bumblebee's mind raced as she thought of the JLA. They'd given her the assignment, told her the risks. She'd be on her own. If her cover was blown, there was nothing they could do. There was no way to contact them in the HIVE. No way to corroborate her story…

Her eyes closed as she shook her head. "I can't."

The temperature plummeted as all three closed in, their hands glowing with blue and green energy, anger bleeding through their blank faces. As they neared, Bumblebee began to cry, feeling death crawl nearer and nearer. Finally, when she could feel the hum of the energy on her skin, Phantom paused, indecision screaming on his face. Hatred, revulsion, and resignation warred in his expression before an immense wave of cold almost froze the blood in her skin.

Phantom's duplicates merged with him, the weather dissipated, and the temperature began to rise again. Finally, the ghost-boy descended to the ground, resting on his knees as tears froze around his eyes before they could fall. His next words were quiet, almost whispering. "I…can't. Just…go ahead and tell the Headmistress."

Bumblebee exhaled, the tightness in her chest loosening as her life flashed before her eyes. _Holy Hell…she'd really thought she was going to die_. Phantom was really, _**really**_ frightening when he got serious. "I-" Bumblebee started as her voice cracked. "I tried to tell you, I won't tell her. I'm…I'd rather be your friend than your enemy."

She couldn't say she was on _his_ side. After all, who knew what Phantom's side really _was_. "Damn…you scared me, spooky. What was that all about?"

"Not here," Danny whispered, trying to remember how much of their conversation would be filtered by the storm he'd conjured and how much of the rest of their discussion had been…'incriminating.' If Bumblebee was _really _a spy…they might be safe.

For now.

Most of what they'd said was too quiet for the listening devices to catch. After all, the concentration was on _watching_ what was happening and rating fighters' performances, not their speaking skills. It had been a close one, though and he'd have to see about getting Jinx to get Gizmo to erase the footage as a safety precaution.

"Your room," Phantom dictated, "Now."

The walk there was quick and Bumblebee was amazed that several purple-clothed people were already going into the practice hall to fix the damage that had been done. It appeared there _were_ some perks to being evil. She lead the downtrodden ghost-boy down into the depths of the HIVE, to the freshman quarters and paused at her door.

"Uh…can't we do this in the hall?" Bumblebee asked, suddenly shy.

"Uh…no," Danny replied, half disbelieving, half sarcastic.

The black-skinned girl took a deep breath and steeled herself, "Fine. My room might be a little…messy, though."

Danny gave her a deadpanned look that was readily apparent even through his sunglasses. Bumblebee nodded and pressed her hand to the door pad and the panel opened with a quiet _swish_. Bumblebee stepped in and Phantom followed her into her room, ready for whatever might come.

As it turned out, he wasn't.

The smell of sweaty clothing clogged his nostrils as soon as he crossed the threshold. Said clothing was strewn around the room in a fashion that he'd only seen in a men's locker room before. Containers of food, wrappers from vending machines, and empty soda cans dotted the room in a tapestry of mounting disgust and decay. Danny stared at the room for a moment before realizing that term had stated a week and a half ago. That meant…

He looked at Bumblebee with newfound respect. "I haven't been to many girl's rooms, but…this is just amazing."

Bumblebee blushed red and cleared a chair off for Phantom, then went wide-eyed at what she'd uncovered. With a startled squeak, she grabbed the panties and stuffed them among another pile of mounting laundry. Idly, she noticed the ghost-boy was completely unaffected by the sight of her undergarments.

"Do you mind if I check for bugs?" Phantom asked.

Bumblebee nodded and he began to flare his ectoplasm around his hand, passing it over the walls. He looked at the girl when he noticed her confused stare and shrugged. "My ectoplasm is sensitive to electrical charges…even more since Thanksgiving. If there's something in the wall I can…ah!"

Bumblebee blinked as Phantom reached a hand _through_ the wall and pulled a small…something out of it. Shrugging, he iced it and crushed the remnants. "That seems to be it. Bugs mean your under suspicion. They'll probably put another few in, in a few days. Right now, though, it's safe to talk. So you're a spy, huh?"

Bumblebee nodded, surprised at his blunt manner. Clearly he hadn't had any real espionage training. "Yes. The Justice League set me up here. What the _Hell_ are you doing here, though? I mean…how do I know that whole thing wasn't just an act?"

Phantom grit his teeth at having his emotional turmoil questioned. "I'm being blackmailed. I'd prefer not to discuss it."

Bumblebee frowned. "Tough. You're going to have to give me something if we're going to work together."

Danny recoiled at the suggestion. "We're not working together. I work alone. Why are you acting like this, anyway? Your personality did a complete one-eighty."

Bumblebee shrugged. "I thought guys liked to be told how great they are. You certainly bought into the act easily enough."

The ghost-boy frowned, flushing from embarrassment. "Whatever. I still don't see what the point would be in working together."

The insectoid heroine slapped her forehead in exasperation. "Look, we both hate the HIVE, right? It doesn't matter if I'm a hero and you're…a ghost. If we work together we can bring down the HIVE that much faster. Besides, this is my job. I'll thank you not to make it harder for me."

Phantom frowned thoughtfully. "I have my own plan, thank you."

Bumblebee blinked in surprise, "Really? What is it?"

Danny stared at her for a moment before deciding to wing-it. Bumblebee seemed trustworthy and, if she was really part of the HIVE, he was already screwed. There was nothing to be lost by telling her his plan and he'd already proved he could incapacitate, if not kill, her easily enough.

"I was going to hit the power generators, the computer core, and the utilities matrix simultaneously. Then I was going to go after the Headmistress." Danny explained curtly.

Bumblebee snorted. "That's too simplistic spooky. That would just cripple the HIVE...and what were you planning to do, kill her?"

Phantom turned his gaze towards her and she could feel the cold rage even through the seemingly opaque glass. Suddenly, the person she'd been having a serious yet polite conversation with was gone as if a switch had been flicked. Now, in his place, there was a dead shell, someone operating on desperation and anger.

_Not Good!_

Despite her screaming sense, she was able to catch Phantom's next words. "Yes. I would kill her."

_A…disassociating personality_, Bumblebee realized vaguely. He _was_ flipping a switch! He was turning off his emotions somehow…or repressing his sense of morality…

Or both.

It was a scary thought that could lead to _serious_ mental illness or a complete breakdown. "You couldn't kill me," Bee pointed out quietly. The Question, weirdo that he was, had warned her about the possible psychological effects of this assignment and it looked like Phantom was going for the most alarming of them all. If this continued, it could lead to multiple personality disorder, paranoid schizophrenia, or bouts of homicidal insanity.

In layman's terms, he'd go crazy.

It would most likely be big, messy, and all over the place when it happened.

This time Phantom took off his glasses so that she could see the deathly seriousness in his eyes. "I'd _regret_ killing you."

"Oh." Bee said quietly. "You still wouldn't destroy the HIVE. A hit like that might change the leadership, but not get rid of it completely."

"I don't care about the HIVE," Danny stated in no uncertain terms, his chill breath forming fog as the ice crept into his voice. "My problem is with the Headmistress. Unless you can help me get rid of her, we don't have much to talk about."

Bumblebee stared at the ghost-boy as he faded through her door, torn between annoyance at his self-centeredness and real worry at his mental state. In any case, this did nothing good for her current mission. She needed to either convince Phantom to wait and time his assault with whatever take-down the JL was planning or work with her and plan a cooperative attack. Of course, _that_ put aside the issue of the ghost-boy's intended murder.

She grabbed a half-empty soda and chugged it, hoping the caffeine would relieve her building headache. This was great. Just fucking great.

Damn it.

* * *

No one had ever called Jinx a slow learner.

There were some _damn good_ reasons for that. From an objective point of view, she had to admit Blood's mind control was almost perfect. It was invasive, over-riding, and self-entrenching. Blood didn't have to be paying direct attention to her for it to operate, and the control mechanism tended to allow her some freedom in her daily activities. She supposed this meant that Blood didn't want to have to deal with the drudgery of all the menial tasks in _someone else's day_ as well as his own.

That meant she could decide _how_ she wanted to do things.

Little things, of course, but they were still her choices. Like…which handwriting style to use to do her homework. How to wash her hair. Which arm she could use to slug Gizmo when he made a lewd comment. She'd never understood just how important those things were.

As for her…orders, they weren't quite as repulsive as she'd first thought.

Friendship with Phantom had been a strange enough thought. Actually _dating_ a ghost was…bizarre. Still, it wasn't a _bad_ experience save for the fact that she was actually under a crippling compulsion to romantically involve herself with him.

That fact aside, Phantom was a decent kisser…

Or so she assumed. She'd not had much…_any_ experience in that regard. Between stealing each meal that came her way and her thieving pastimes, there hadn't been much time to even _think_ about dating. When the random thought about this or that guy had crossed her mind, they'd been immediately dismissed for numerous reasons.

Too tall.

Too crazy.

Too muscular.

Too stupid.

Too childish.

Phantom was…different. As much as he seemed to break the mold in every other department, that held true here too. He was serious in his childishness. He was intelligent in his stupidity. He was…

If anything, he was too _perfect_.

But he was even that. As annoying as it was, Phantom was beautifully flawed. He was like broken glass in the sunlight, or spilt wine under a full moon. Maybe…more like…tragic.

Yeah…that was a good word for Danny. Tragic.

Then again, it seemed so cliché for Phantom's originality. The tragedy wasn't the fall-from-grace that was so common in those stupid Greek epics they'd studied at Dark Way Preparatory Academy. It was like…if sunlight could cry.

Not that she even knew what that meant, but it seemed appropriate.

Danny was just so _painfully_ ordinary sometimes, which contrasted startlingly with his super-powerfully persona. It was as if he _forgot_ he was so powerful on occasion. Of course, that was what made him strange.

Unique.

And if there was one thing Jinx liked, it was unique things. Maybe that was what attracted her to Danny in the first place? Oh well, it was a pity she'd have to kill him-

-NO! Danny was her _FRIEND!_ She wouldn't-

-kill him. Brother Blood would be so proud when she finally-

-Friend! Can't Kill!-

Jinx's knees hit the floor as indecision warred across her mind. Violent thoughts conflicting as her headache threatened to split her head in two. Slowly, the pain subsided into a murky miasma of non-thought.

Jinx curled into a ball and began to cry.

* * *

Danny Phantom was smiling.

It was a rare occurrence these days, but it drew forth a kind of ambient warmth in a room that left most curious or staring. Danny himself was on an emotional high that made him reticent to ice over his inner-thoughts and feelings, creating a turmoil between responsibility and self-indulgence. It was easy to tell which was winning.

Of course, it helped that his course-load was lighter and differently-themed than the past quarter. He'd been true to his oath in Dr. Stone's medical ward and signed up for not one, but two medical classes at the earliest opportunity. They were 300 and 500 level courses, both substantially advanced and he'd had to have Jinx tutor him _again_, but it was worth it.

When he'd glimpsed the graduate-level class in elementary cloning, his thoughts had immediately shifted to Danielle for the first time in weeks and he'd spared some considerable worry for his clone/cousin. The girl had seemed alright when she'd flown away, but…

He'd signed up for Abnormal Physiology with an associated lab in Practical Medicine and a higher-level class in Basic DNA Restructuring Strategies. Unlike the rest of the coursework at the HIVE, they could be applied without changing the students' perspective on what was 'good' and 'bad.' In essence, a Political and Social Disruption Studies course could be applied in a non-destructive manner for a political science degree…but you had to use the principles the HIVE taught you in a positive way, which often took an inventive mind.

But medical courses were innately good…unless you twisted them like Vlad had when he'd created those flawed clones. Danny would use them positively, though, and it put his mind at ease to be doing something _good_ for a change.

Phantom looked up from his text at his…girlfriend of two weeks now. She was reclining on his bed, watching him lazily. There was a satisfied look on her face…most likely from their latest 'study session.'

"Jinx…when do you graduate?" Danny asked suddenly. His plan for the downfall of the Headmistress was almost finished, but he was concerned over his relationship with Jinx

Jinx blinked her pink eyes, as if coming awake from a dream. "Three months, the end of this quarter, why?'

"What are you going to do when you're out of school?"

"Well," Jinx considered. "Tradition has it that graduation exams mean your first public appearance in the villain community. I'll probably go mercenary for a while with Gizmo and Mammoth…unless something else comes up. Why are you asking? You've got at least another year before you can graduate with a B.A. let alone a proper doctorate."

Jinx had never really had any _big_ plans beyond HIVE. She'd always thought of the future in vague terms of a successful career in villainy. Part of her was ecstatic over Danny's interest in her life plans…it wasn't like _anyone else_ had ever shown interest.

Another part, deep down, was scared shitless at the prospect of someone caring about her. Even the fact that Blood was making her lie to Danny in word and deed didn't let her shake the heartache over…over her boyfriend.

The word _hurt_ to even think, hurt like rubbing salt into an open wound.

"I was planning a BA in Mechanical Engineering with a double minor in Electrical Engineering and Medical Studies. If…would you like to…stay together…after you graduate?" Danny asked, his voice as steady as possible and ice chipping off his fingers.

Jinx thought he looked absolutely cute. She'd held him to that bargain made months ago and still made him wear one of her dresses, but he hardly fought her on it now. She liked to think this was the sign of a good relationship dynamic.

The thought kept her awake nights, sometimes.

"Isn't it a little…early to be talking like that?" Jinx asked, her cheeks pinking. "We've been dating for…almost a month? Do you really think we should make snap decisions right now?"

Danny sighed. "I…guess not. I just…really like you, Jinx. I…care about you."

"Impulsive idiot," Jinx swore and Phantom's head spun, his shocked green eyes matching her wet pink orbs. Danny's mouth dropped open slightly as he realized what was happening. Jinx was…

Jinx was _crying_.

He'd known her for over four months at this point, and the sight chilled him to the bone more than his own ice. He rushed to the bedside as tears streamed down her face. Softly, he heard, "That's…the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me."

Danny was struck speechless as he kneeled over the pink haired girl.

"I'm…really sorry Danny."

Phantom's eyes widened as he glimpsed her hex-encased hand in the far-left of his field of vision. It was too late to pull off a duplicate and it might not even _work_ with Jinx's powers…

There was only one thing to do.

His form faded into Jinx's as he attempted to phase through her. Pink light flared and the searing feeling of burning red energy…then the sensation of falling…and nothing.

* * *

Another chapter down, still more to go. At this point, I estimate I'm about half-way through...no, maybe a third...that sounds right, with the first story arc. Yes, the first. Don't ask me about the next story arcs right now. They're little more than vague butterflies made of cobwebs floating around in my head right now. Hm...that was a little too poetic. I blame that on Jinx. She seems to be waxing poetic as the stress of her situation mounts. It still seems strange to me how well I write Jazz and Jinx...two teenage girls, when I've never been one myself. Ah well, I hope the intro. to romance is shaping up to what people expect. Later on, there will be more fluff, but I'm setting the stage for a few more plot points right now.

On another point, Terra. I've gone back and done a little research on her character, cause I was never a BIG Teen Titans reader and...damn, she got the short end of the stick. I mean, like, microscopically short end of the stick. She was a disposable character made to be horribly flawed and led to the slaughter by a maniac. Well, we won't be using that back story in this fiction. I'm **completely** disregarding Terra's cannon back story and making up my own. That means

Ah yes, and graduation. That means...next chapter, you guessed it...the Titans. Will Danny have a hand in their formation or will he be too preoccupied with his own emo-ness and multiple crises to even notice them? Will Jinx kill Danny? Will Dani Phantom _ever_ get screen-time? Will the author stop asking questions he already knows the answer to?

Tune in next time, true believers.

Alright, it's nearing midnight and I've done two chapters in two days. Holy crap, I must be loosing it.

-Slayer Out!


	9. Alice Doesn't Have Anything On This

Slayer Anderson

HIVE Minded VIII

A Teen Titans/Danny Phantom Fanfiction

11/02/09

* * *

Chapter 8-Alice Doesn't Have Anything On This

Or

The Invasion of the Space Lizards

* * *

When Phantom came to, it was to a sight he'd never imagined before. The phrase 'psychedelic nightmare' came to mind as he stared vacantly at his surroundings. Pink stars dotted the sky as a moon with the consistency of a runny egg slid around the horizon lazily. Pink and black stripped cats the size of tigers danced in the 'light' of a blue neon sun that flickered on and off like the sign at a cheep motel.

It was then that he realized that he was standing on an ocean of pink and navy swirling liquid that rose and fell like tides, but formed buildings instead of waves. Doors appeared and disappeared over the course of seconds that seemed like hours and felt like minutes.

Danny cringed, his head beginning to hurt as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing. The sticking point was that, as unnatural as it all seemed…something told him that the world around him was in perfect alignment, synchronicity, and…

The ghost-boy's eyes widened as an angry red weave snaked out towards him.

Immediately, one of the large cats that had seemed so far away pounced on the thread of energy and tore it to pieces. When the thread was no more, the cat looked towards Danny with an intelligence that belied it's bestial appearance.

"Danny Phantom…" The cat said in perfect English, seemingly not impaired at all by it's lack of human vocal cords, brain structure, or mouth organs. "I am Ignoble Conscience, welcome to my mistress' mind. Your presence is most fortunate at this juncture. How do you do?"

"Uh…" Danny stated intelligibly, his gaping mouth sure to draw flies…if they existed here. "What?…No, wait…_WHAT?_"

"In your reality," The large cat explained patiently, "The one you know as Jinx, my mistress, is in grave danger. That danger has manifested itself here in the form of a creeping red evil which threatens the independence of her mind and the health of her body. You are currently in her mind…a psychic manifestation of your residual self-image. If you wish to know all the technical details…you should talk to Irresponsible Ingenuity."

A sudden spasm in Danny's neck muscles cocked his head as a massive, full-body twitch flowed over him. He could literally _feel_ his brain trying to process the influx of weirdness, freezing all cognition beyond that. Finally, one of the fuses keeping him from going insane burned out and his mind rebooted.

The ghost-boy slowly nodded. "Okay. If I've gone crazy I might as well have fun with it. So…Jinx is in danger and I have to…save her?"

The cat smiled…Danny purposefully didn't put much thought behind _how_ it smiled, and looked towards a fountain of red flares on the horizon. "Your quest is thus, specter: traverse the quixotic mindscape of my mistress while we hold back the growing invasion tide and free my mistress."

"That and a bag of chips," Danny muttered, flexing his muscles and taking flight gently. Concentrating further, he attempted to pull at the metaphorical 'muscles' that consisted of his powers. To his surprise, the change of emotions didn't trigger a miniature flood, storm, or other weather phenomena.

Then again…if he _was_ in Jinx's mind…there wouldn't _be_ weather…

Right?

Shaking off the weirdness, Danny turned to the ca-Ignoble Conscience, only to find her…him, _it?_…gone and the area around him vacant of all life save the shifting turmoil of the 'ground' beneath his feet.

He took a deep breath and, admirably, restrained himself from screaming in frustration. Instead, as had become habit these days, Phantom iced his emotions and coldly contemplated the task before him.

Objective 1: Find Jinx.

Objective 2: Find whatever was threatening her and eliminate it with _extreme prejudice._

Objective 3: Get the Hell back to the real world.

Objective 4: Find a bottle of Tylenol and take a long nap.

Yes, those were good objectives. He could live with that…and maybe some chili. Chili actually sounded really good right now-

Danny slapped himself.

_Hard_.

Objective 5: Maintain Sanity…somehow.

With those plans in mind, Danny Phantom set off towards the most difficult challenge he had faced yet.

He was never more thankful that he could fly as in this instance. Each wave of swirled pink and navy pseudo-liquid seemed to not only create a landscape in and of itself, but also create it's own gravity. As such, he often only had the downward pull of gravity to tell him that 'up' was now 'down' on many occasions. What little wildlife there was consisted of all cat-like animals…

Cat-birds, cat-snakes, catfish…

Danny blinked, staring at the whiskered dark-blue skinned fish. It was sunning itself gently on a rock by a…well, he supposed it could be defined as a river and seemed in no danger of suffocating from lack of water. Many of the other animals seemed to move backward and forward randomly, as if caught in one of Clockwork's 'time-outs.'

The strangeness of the environment became more and more apparent as he went on into what was rapidly becoming a 'city.' Tall buildings made of dark stone in Gothic-style architecture loomed all around him, somehow sitting on top of the pink and navy liquid without sinking.

"I suddenly have so much more respect for Alice…" Danny muttered quietly, still drifting cautiously towards the red flares of light. "Of course, I don't think I'll ever go to an amusement park after this."

"That's bad. Parks are fun."

Danny blinked and turned, expecting to find another talking cat. Instead, a diminutive girl with pink hair and eyes, dressed in a baggy t-shirt, stained cut-offs, hole-filled shoes. Wait…

"Jinx," Danny said warily.

"Jennifer," The girl corrected curtly. "And if you're going to be our boyfriend, you'll need to take us to lots of parks."

Danny could feel another fuse in his mind threaten to explode. "Okay," he stated, vaguely remembering something Jazz had said about playing into peoples' insanities. "…Jennifer, are you like those…big cats back there?"

The child giggled and pulled out an ice cream cone from…somewhere. "You're silly, at least you'll make us laugh. I'm part of myself…the youngest part, at least. I'm the part that likes to laugh and hates to cry. You're our boyfriend, though, so you should already know what I like."

Danny's eye twitched rapidly as he came to terms with this latest development. "Right. You like sherbet ice and long walks anywhere but the beach. You hate lemons, limes, and most types of alcohol. Oh, and you'll punch anyone in the neck that carries a rabbit's foot."

Jennifer, which Danny could only guess was Jinx's _real_ name, gave him a long, long look in only the way inquisitive children can. Finally, the little girl nodded. "Very well, I have but one more test to give you. What…is your favorite color?"

Danny grinned, an answer immediately coming to mind.

"Green…No, Pink!"

Jennifer fell over laughing, the ice cream floating next to her writing body as the sound of juvenile laughter. Finally, with tears in her eyes and gulping deep breaths of air, Jennifer sat up. "I _love_ that movie. Okay…you're a good boyfriend I guess. My older self should be a little further on. Don't mess up, though, or I'll make sure to kick you in the shin."

Danny sighed and nodded.

Every time Jinx chose a film for HIVE's movie night it was the same thing: _Monty Python and the Quest for Holy Grail_. Granted he thought it was hilarious too…

The first seven times.

Danny's attention on some of his better memories almost cost him his right arm as something black and white streaked through the air. He swerved right at the last instant, wary of going intangible in this environment. Turning to see what had tried to maim his, Danny decided he needed to get out of here, _now_.

It was a five foot panda bear standing on it's hind legs. It had demonic glowing red eyes and a bright red swastika emblazoned on it's chest. Belying it's cute superficiality, it positively radiated _evil_ in a way he'd only ever felt from the Fright Knight himself.

For a moment that seemed to last hours, Danny just _stared_.

Then the panda attacked. It's mouth opened to reveal rows and rows of razor sharp teeth spinning like a blender. Phantom back-shifted his movement immediately, flying backwards as fast as possible, dodging as he went.

Finally gaining a spare second between the bears lunges, Danny's hands began to glow green. _Shoom, Shoom!_

The energy splashed against the panda like water against rocks, Danny's eyes widening further as the bear came at him again, glowing red energy claws extending to a ridiculous length.

"_Holy Hell!_"

Instinct kicked in and Danny's fist shot forward, encased in blue energy as a shell of ice impacted the beast. Thankfully, the bear staggered this time, but not before throwing Danny backwards a dozen feet. Coming to a painful stop, Danny slowly stood up to face off against the Nazi Panda again.

"Da-Danny! What the…how are you even-?"

Danny's head spun, finding Jinx (of the proper age) incased in a cage of red energy, looking at him in amazement. "Jinx! Okay…what the Hell is going on he-!"

_Shwam!_

The claw caught him off-guard and dragged painfully along the artificially-tough material of his trench-coat. Thankfully, the jacket held and he was thrown another ten feet instead of being gutted like a fish.

"Okay," Danny stated coolly from the crater he'd formed as he landed. "I've been assaulted, freaked out, and am currently fighting an imaginary panda. Putting aside everything else…I _refuse_ to loose to a figment of my girlfriend's imagination!"

The panda grinned, it's teeth looking like an industrial meat grinder in the process. The sword-like claws extended still further as the bear charged the ghost-boy. Danny slammed a kick into the bear's girth encased in blue energy, knocking it at a ninety-degree angle and putting Jinx behind him and out of the line of fire.

Then, he took a deep breath.

And _WAILED!_

The bear lasted a few long moments before it exploded in a shower of red sparks and dying light. Phantom collapsed, breathing hard and concentrating to hold off a reverse-transformation. Finally, his ectoplasmic energy railed and gave him a second wind, allowing him to stand back up and walk, slowly, to the still-imprisoned Jinx.

"Okay…what the Hell is going on? Feel free to explain in excruciating detail now that the homicidal fascist panda has been turned into crappy fireworks." Danny gasped out as he sat down on the outside of the bars.

Jinx stared, her jaw opening and closing in blank awe.

Phantom blinked for a moment before nodded. "Right, door first, then explanation."

Taking another moment to concentrate, Danny's finger hummed with concentrated cold for a moment before he pressed it to the lock on the cage door. The lock froze and shattered in short order, leaving the door to swing open.

Then he was hit by something pink, black, and navy.

And there was kissing.

Lots of kissing.

He decided the explanation could wait a little longer. Her mouth was hot against his, her tongue probing with more force than he'd ever felt. There was a passion, a flame, that he'd never felt before, as if she was putting all her heart and soul into the embrace. After several minutes of pressed lips, Jinx pulled away in a much more pleasant gasping, breathless, manner.

"Don't take this personally, Danny, but I'd like to get a little privacy. Plus, I'd really like to thank you…personally, back in the real world." Jinx grinned, her face flushed from exertion.

Phantom's head nodded happily, a vacant look in his eye as Jinx slammed a pink-coated hand onto his forehead. Danny's eyes shot open as his body seized and was forcibly expelled from Jinx's.

* * *

Waking up with a warm body curled up next to his was an interesting new sensation. No, more than that, it was enlightening. The head of pink hair resting on his shoulder was something that warmed his very soul. The fact that Jinx had each and every curve of her body pressed meticulously close to his own only deepened the sensation. Finally, a half-smile resting on her sleeping face that he could barely see from the position her head was in, resting in the nape of his neck and guiding her breath to tickle the almost nonexistent pulse of his ghostly body.

He decided he liked it.

Memories of the night prior floated back to his waking mind in a sleepy haze that indicated he wasn't quite awake. He remember slamming into his dorm wall as a wave of pink energy, thankfully tame in comparison to the concentrated bad luck of her hex bolts, washed over him.

In short order, his ghostly flight shorted out and he crashed to the ground in a heap of tired, sore, and pained ectoplasm. He taken a moment to just lay there, hurting and gathering his wits about him. Finally, he tugged on the spectral currents of energy that surrounded him to establish that, _yes_, he was back in the real world where his errant temper could cause tornadoes.

Without further hesitation, he 'iced' his emotions, clearing his mind in the process. Now with a more clear presence of mind, Phantom stood and turned his attention to the pink haired girl in his bed.

And was promptly knocked back down.

Onto the ground.

Again.

For the _fourth_ time that day. Wait…did those first three times actually count? Did they _really _happen, given that they'd happened in Jinx's head…mind…imagination? Some distant part of his mind decided that it wasn't even worth the thought to figure it out as Jinx hit a _very _sensitive place with her tongue on his neck.

Drawing in a gasp which was mirrored by the rapid movement of air in the room, Danny looked down to see two mischievous pink orbs dancing with amusement. She bared her teeth lightly and grinned.

"You know what," Danny asked sardonically. "I'm not getting up. I'm going to lay here and ask questions and I'd like you to please answer them because I am very confused right now. If you could please intermittently kiss me, that would also be very much appreciated."

Jinx's frame shook with suppressed laughter as she regarded him like a tasty treat left unattended. "I don't know if you'll want me to keep kissing you after you listen to what I have to say," Jinx said sadly, all laughter gone from her form.

She sighed and curled up on his chest, which was still enveloped in the silky fabric of her dress. "You really do look good in my clothes, you know. How do you do that?"

"It's a byproduct of my complete lack of masculinity," Danny deadpanned, idly running his fingers through the pink mane inches from his face. He was careful not to mess up the 'horns.' He was fairly sure Jinx had broken bones for less. "Could you please explain why I'm still wearing the dress, though? I'd really like to know, seeing as I was in my jumpsuit and trench-coat in…where ever that was."

"My mind," Jinx said quietly. "It's not…really a nice place. I have a very unique view on the world. In order to use my powers, I have to see the implausible as likely and the reasonable as impossible."

Danny supposed that made a considerable amount more sense than anything else he'd seen today. "And the dress?"

Jinx fingered the blouse in response. "Does it really bother you that much? I'd thought you'd be used to cross-dressing by now."

"I feel I have to put up a token argument to save what little male pride I have left," Danny stated, used to detouring Jinx's questions with a pinch of black humor. In all honesty, the dress didn't bother him at all nowadays…not that he would ever admit it.

_Ever_.

"Hm…I guess you just see yourself as wearing the jumpsuit and trench-coat. You ever see The Matrix?" Jinx asked, now tracing a finger on his arm.

"Oh," Danny said, remembering the years-ago craze. "You mean like Neo was bald and skinny in the real world, but…normal in the matrix?"

"Got it in one," Jinx sighed. "You weren't _really_ in my mind after all. It's just that with so many presences within my body I instinctually needed some way to sort everything out. You appeared as a representation of yourself inside a representation of my mind."

"Oh," Phantom reiterated. "Then why do I feel like I just went three rounds with a fascist panda bear with red energy claws?"

"If you die in the matrix?" Jinx asked, leadingly. As if to punctuate the question, she bit down lightly on his neck, leaving a hicky which she proceeded to lap at gently.

Danny shivered at both the sensation and the answer. "You die in the real world," he replied quietly. He blinked as his mind fixated on one point, "Wait. So many presences? Who else was in there?"

"Brother Blood," Jinx whispered, her tone distant.

Every muscle in Danny's body tensed and Jinx was almost alarmed as she felt frost cover his form, crystalline snowflake patterns appearing over the material of the dress. "Why?"

The question was deathly cold, leaving no doubt in Jinx's mind that this was someone who had faced a literal _death_ and come out triumphant. "He wanted me to kill you. Our…relationship was his idea, to catch you off-guard."

The ectoplasmic flesh underneath her form felt as cold as frostbitten stone, growing colder by the moment. She looked up and saw quiet accusation in his eyes, suspicion that was like a knife wound to the soul.

"That…creature you killed was a manifestation of his will inside me, mimicking everything I hate. Why it took the shape it did…is a long story. When you killed it and freed me…you cut his puppet strings. Danny…"

Her voice trailed off into silence as she bit her lip, looking for any hint of compassion in his green/blue orbs. Finally, she decided to chance it anyway. If there was any hope that he might…

She'd only begun to consider him a friend when Blood gave the command, but…

He'd held her so gently, kissed her more lightly than she'd thought possible. He'd been the perfect gentleman even when her zealous advances would have had any other student, or teacher (and that thought redoubled her hatred when she thought of what Blood could have done to her), drag her back to their room and…

She most likely wouldn't find another like him if she tried.

It was more than just the thought of him as an acceptable and tractable companion, though. He was…special. He _cared_ about her, which was more than any other person had ever even attempted. If he decided that she was no longer trustworthy, that she 'd had some intent to hurt him and never wished to see her again…

She'd _cry_.

She'd cry for the first time since she learned what being an orphan meant. The sadness that came with learning that no one wanted her and she'd been left to people who wouldn't spare the rod any more than the fist or the boot.

"I…" Jinx started, searching for words to express exactly what she felt when she, herself, didn't rightly know. "You're important to me."

The chill in his eyes softened at that and Jinx felt such relief that it almost crushed her. "I want to stay with you…I want…to kiss you and not have it be someone else's idea."

The ice melted in his eyes and Danny slowly swept her up into his arms, pressing his face tightly into her and breathing in the scent of lavender and cinnamon. "I want to believe you, Jinx. I want to know that there's someone who…cares about me. But…"

The tears seeping into the collar of the dress he was wearing stopped him. "I don't want you to trust me, Danny."

Phantom stared at her in blank surprise. "What?"

"Blood is still inside me. The strength with which he was controlling me suppressed my powers, but now my powers are suppressing his. Bad luck can fuck all manner of things up, after all. If he notices, though, he'll put me back under his thumb in a heartbeat. I want you to be ready to stop me if I ever try to hurt you again. For tonight, though…"

Danny blinked. _Tonight?_

Phantom gulped as her eyes took on a darker, hungrier look.

"Uh…Jinx?"

The pinkette smiled and leaned in, kissing him deeply and more demandingly than ever before. "Tonight," Jinx confirmed, her hand sliding down Phantom's side and towards the hem of the skirt.

_Oh._

There had only been two reasons he'd refused. The primary one was that he couldn't guarantee what would happen with his powers should he…

Anyway, the second had been Jinx herself. He wanted her to be _sure_ when they slept together, that she wasn't doing it just out of gratitude for saving her, or if Blood really was _still_ controlling her…he couldn't take the risk. Jinx had left a dozen marks on his neck trying to convince him, but she eventually conceded the point. Of course, she'd demanded a compromise, which was why she was still in his room the next morning.

She'd stripped to her underwear and cuddled up next to him, latching on more tightly than he gave her small frame credit for. That was all they'd done, though, besides a little more kissing.

She was cute, though, and Danny didn't know if he'd refuse her a second time.

Sighing, the ghost-boy phased through her grip and went looking for his jumpsuit, where ever it was in the mess they'd left his room. The suit, like most of his ghostly apparel, didn't need actual _cleaning_, but would be ready for another day with a simple second or two phased intangible. The dirt and grime would simple fall through the material, leaving it spotless and stain-free. Although, he'd never been more thankful to have worn clean boxers than last night.

Now all he had to do was figure out how to deal with Blood.

Phantom concentrated as the rage built inside him, ice forming on his bare skin. Blood had done something unforgivable to Jinx, and he'd see the Bastard pay dearly for it. Maybe Bumblebee _was _right; this whole damn school needed to be destroyed.

And he needed to find a coin.

After all, it was becoming harder and harder to choose between Blood and the Headmistress.

* * *

Of course, he couldn't have a single day without something going wrong.

In hindsight he should have been waiting for the other shoe to drop. Still, the fact that he was almost perfectly content with his life at the moment was enough to lull him into a false sense of security. Granted, he was still plotting, preferably bloody, vengeance on the HIVE…

But, all the same, he'd never expected a proximity alarm to go off.

HIVE took it's security _very_ seriously, disregarding the two spies in their midst and the coup de tat in the works of course. Threats from within weren't very big on the agenda apparently. But…the security against outside threats was comparable to STAR Labs in it's sheer volume and complexity.

It could be an accident, though that wouldn't explain why he was immediately called to the Headmistress' office only a few seconds after the alarm went off. All around him students were rushing to defensive stations in case of a medieval-style siege or an open war with another villains or heroic operation. In the case of the latter, the HIVE would move to a supplementary base due to the main complex being compromised.

He frowned and reminded himself to give Bumblebee more information on the emergency plans of the HIVE. Provided this whole mess wasn't her doing, of course.

"Mam," Phantom said, stepping over the threshold of the open door. "You called for me?"

The Headmistress nodded. "Indeed," Her strict, severe countenance cut right to the point. "The city above us is under attack by an alien force."

Danny blinked.

"The HIVE has never compromised the integrity of Jump City. We have…discouraged any activities of our own students or other, minor, villains who aspire to terrorize the city. The fact that these aliens are destroying much of the city's infrastructure is disturbing and may reveal our organization's presence."

Phantom nodded slowly, following the reasoning and waiting for the punch-line.

"We have never before faced such a situation, Daniel. As such, I have engineered a unique response. The destruction of this city will not be tolerated. It is a valuable, nigh vital resource. These people are indispensable to our continued operation, do I make myself clear?"

The ghost-boy gave one sharp nod as comprehension began to dawn.

"You will observe and covertly intervene in the situation. I have assigned Kid Wykkid and Jinx to your command for the duration. You are not to engage in any unnecessary…heroics. You are not do act overtly."

The Headmistress gave him one more, considering glance. "They are currently making a nuisance of themselves. If they should pose any threat to the HIVE's continued existence, eliminate the threat by whatever means necessary."

* * *

...Okay, I wasn't something anything. Honest. I did not imbibe alcohol, any prescription, or non-prescription medicine. No, really. I'm being honest. If you want to blame something, blame Johnny Depp's Sleepy Hollow and too much Mountain Dew. Well...and Jinx, you can definitely blame her. The strange thing is, writing this part came fairly naturally to me. Huh. Oh well, THE TITANS ARE HERE! Yes, you can stop asking when the Titans are going to appear. They will be a significant part of next chapter...

Now you can all keep bugging me about when Danni is going to get here...Damn it.

Now, to summarize the plots and sub-plots I've got going.

Plot #1: Danny is black-mailed to attend HIVE against his will. Plot #2: The eventual downfall of the HIVE. Plot #3: Jinx/Blood Mind Control Plot #4: Danny's interaction with the Titans (This hasn't been completely introduced yet).

Sub-Plot #1: Danny's moral decay and seduction to the dark side. Sub-Plot #2: Danny's conflict with Cyborg (This hasn't been completely introduced yet either, but you've known it's been coming). Sub-Plot #3: Jazz and Vlad plotting to drag Danny back to Amity Park for his own good. Sub-Plot #4: Danny/Jinx romance. Sub-Plot #5: Danielle Phantom (You know Damn well this hasn't been introduced yet) Sub-Plot #6: Jazz trying to redeem Vlad and psycho-analyze him. Sub-Plot #7: ...Did I miss something? Oh yeah...the ghosts.

What? You can't honestly think they're not doing ANYTHING during all this time. Granted, some of them are, but...some are plotting and scheming.

...Announcements? I honestly don't know if I have any. Uh...currently out of Mountain Dew. 'Sides that...next chapter is kind of up in the air right now, so it might be a few days.

Read, Review, and Enjoy!

-Slayer Out!


	10. First Impressions

Slayer Anderson

HIVE-Minded IX

A Danny Phantom/Teen Titans Crossover Fanfiction

11/05/09

* * *

Chapter 9-First Impressions

Or

A Crisis of Faith

* * *

***A/N: The events of this chapter occur during the Teen Titans episode "Titans Go!" This is the 'origin' episode for the Titans, explaining their formation and their first battles.

* * *

**

"I still don't see why she put you in charge," Jinx stated in her best 'even though we're dating, and probably _because _of it, I'm still going to give you a hard time' voice.

"I have the most field experience," Danny stated, ice leaking through his voice as he tried to create the emotional detachment that had served the villains of the past so well. As long as he had the handicap of creating storms with his emotional turmoil, he might as well get _some_ advantage from it. After all, to quote Technus, his emotions were 'his greatest weakness.'

After that insanity with Valerie?

He'd believe it.

He really wanted…whatever it was he had with Jinx to work. As such, he couldn't afford to be found lacking in the HIVE. Even more so than in a normal high school, weakness was frowned upon…just _one _of the reasons he'd gotten Gizmo to erase those practice tapes. Blundering on this mission would be tantamount to a declaration of incompetence.

Jinx was about as successful as HIVE students came. So, while no one would dare overtly interfere in anything she did…it would be _frowned_ _upon_. Similar to the way Dash Baxter frowned upon Danny Fenton.

"So…very experienced leader," Jinx purred sarcastically, "What's the plan?"

Kyd Wykkyd tried his best to look as though he wasn't smiling.

Danny looked over the city from their perch on a mid-level skyscraper. It was a bit of an odd-ball among the stainless steel and mirrored glass of the rest of Jump City. The building was a relic from the early twentieth century and had survived the last earthquake that had turned the city into the ultra-modern edifice it was today.

As such, it had plenty of nooks and crannies to hide them, such as behind the gargoyle that currently sheltered the impromptu team. The view on the city around them, though, was anything but sheltered and calm.

Danny looked pensively at the swarm of green-blue space lizards that were crawling over the sprawling city. Normally, he would have rushed in headstrong, ectoplasm blazing, and completely assured that he was doing the right thing.

Normally.

Glacial ice crushed the guilt he felt from not going immediately to the rescue. "They're just destroying property. It seems the hologram was right, they're looking for something. As long as we don't interfere they should be gone in…"

The hologram reappeared, crushing Danny's hopes that there wouldn't be any violence. Evidently someone had decided to 'help' the escaped prisoner for some reason. Right now, he couldn't particularly donate any effort to figuring out why, but the irritation with whoever it was remained. Suddenly, his Spook Specks lit up in bright blue, highlighting a specific energy source.

A big one.

"Hey Jinx, Wykkyd?" Danny asked, his head tilting up and following the energy scans. "Does that look like an energy cannon to you guys or is it just me?"

The other two HIVE students looked up, staring blankly at the enormous alien ship. The dusky orange metal made it easy to pick out against the bright blue of the early afternoon sky and the rope-like cords of piping that were lighting up in sequence indicted…it was firing.

Danny hesitated for a moment, looking down at the increasingly violent aliens that had infested the city and the spaceship that looked to be charging to fire. Finally, he nodded to himself.

"I want you two down on street level. Take out any of the aliens you see threatening human life…permanently if you need to. If you have to choose between saving someone and revealing yourself…at this point it doesn't matter much so go ahead and save them. I'm going to take care of the spaceship."

Wykkyd nodded, not all that inclined to argue. Jinx stared at him before sighing, "Fine…I guess I can't tell you not to get yourself killed, but…"

Red eyes widened as Kyd was treated to the sight of Jinx shoving her tongue down Phantom's throat for a full minute. At last, the pinkette came up for air, breathing hard and grinning in a satisfied manner. She turned to Wykkyd and grabbed his arm, stepping into the darkness of his cloak as they both vanished, leaving the startled Phantom stunned and alone on the side of a building.

The ghost-boy shook himself and took off towards the spaceship. Still, there was a twang of guilt that he couldn't suppress over Jinx's comment. He still hadn't been completely truthful with her and he needed to change that…

As soon as he found a way to ensure she didn't run to Blood with the information. Phantom sighed and kicked his speed up a notch, turning intangible and phasing into the massive dreadnought. The section he found himself in was mercifully vacant, but alive with moving machinery and complicated mechanisms. He spent another moment looking around, trying to recognize any specific gizmo that would guarantee the destruction of the ship with minimal effort on his part.

Unfortunately, the ship itself consisted of primarily alien technology which was extremely unfamiliar. Case in point, he supposed he was in an engine room, but he just as easily could be in the utilities system or…

Anything, really.

"Well, I guess there's only one way to do this," Danny sighed, his hands glowing with spectral energy as he began to open fire.

* * *

Jinx fired a double set of hex bolts from her position in an alleyway.

Two giant lizards harassing a couple were thrown off their feet and into the concrete side of a building. Smiling widely, she raised her hands to her lips forming 'pistols' with them and gently blew on the ends. Turning to Wykkyd, she grinned.

"Top _that_."

Kyd Wykkyd raised an eyebrow before vanishing in a flash of shadow. The next instant, he'd covered twenty feet, grabbed a teen and teleported them away from an alien as the creature brought it's arms down, crushing the pavement. Wykyid deposited his cargo another dozen feet away and, in rapid succession, duplicated the tick another five times.

Jinx frowned at him before mowing down the lizards with a volley of hex bolts which turned the concrete and tar of the street molten and immobilized them in the quickly cooling stone. "Sure, guys take all the glory but leave the leg work for women."

Granted, Phantom was the only one of them who could actually fly and therefore got the spaceship by necessity, but it left her as the only one on the ground with any substantial offensive capabilities. Looking around her, she noted that there weren't any more aliens in her vicinity and grabbed Wykkid's shoulder as he ported them to a higher location to get a better view.

The lizards had really gone rapid when their leader had cut their leashes, injuring civilians out of sheer malicious glee than any apparent concern for finding the escaped prisoner they'd come for. The violence was disturbing in a way Jinx hadn't ever really contemplated before.

Sure, she'd beaten people to near-death.

She'd fought her share of knife-fights.

A smattering of robberies-gone-bad that had ended in violence…

But she'd never just gone out, picked someone at random, and tried to kill them. It was…pointless and while Jinx wasn't the most sane person in the world, pointless violence didn't belong on the streets of Jump City.

Honestly, she wasn't even sure why it bothered her.

She wasn't naïve enough to think that people didn't die for stupid reasons. Violence was a way of life, hers specifically, that she'd embraced. There was a difference, though, in kicking someone's ass for a twenty dollar bill and leaving a dead body on the sidewalk just to turn to the next person and do the same.

Damn…maybe Danny _was_ getting to her with all his talk of morality and 'codes of conduct.' She'd always thought being a villain left a pretty clear cut morality.

Do what you need to…

_Survive_.

It was how she'd always lived her life, surviving the streets of Gotham, the Halls of Dark Way Preparatory Academy, and then the HIVE. Jinx shook herself from her reverie as Kyd Wykkid pointed out a building that was about to come under siege.

Jinx blinked, then looked at the blue-faced teen.

"Please tell me school's out, Kyd."

Kyd blinked, looked back at the building, and then turned a slightly paler face to Jinx and slowly shook his head. The two looked closely and could see panicking children inside the elementary school. Jinx scowled and looked around, trying to find some…thing. Something that could act as a force equalizer between two teenage meta-humans and nearly thirty super-strong alien lizards.

And then she smiled.

It wasn't a nice smile.

"You can drive a stick, right?"

* * *

Naomi was what most teacher would call a 'problem student.'

She cheated, blew spit balls, and had at least one fight per week. She was the most troublesome child in the third grade, and many of the adults could only dread and quiver in fear of what she would be when she grew up. Her vocabulary had made more than one seasoned professional faint from surprise and horror.

It should come as no surprise to anyone, then, that she had decided her time would be better spent in an extra period of 'art class' then in math. Granted, her definition of 'art' was a can of spray paint and a brick wall on the side of the school. She'd done such things before and nothing had come of it unless she was caught. Even then, the guidance councilors tended to blame the teachers for not properly motivating her instead of actually punishing her.

It had never occurred that today would be different.

Then the aliens invaded.

She'd ended up hiding behind a dumpster as the squad of vicious-looking lizards approached. They weren't looking particularly concerned with anything save the school itself and were heading directly towards the classrooms with children visible through the windows. Naomi bit her lip, feeling that she was supposed to do _something_ to try and help, but not having the slightest clue_ what_.

Then _she_ appeared.

She had two pink horns of hair, a black and navy outfit, and pale-gray skin and was wearing a smile that mocked death and all it stood for. Naomi's jaw dropped as she spun _into_ the horde coming at the school.

She moved like a cross between a dancer and an killer. As she wove between and through the beasts, she dodged each and every blow that came her way. She even reached out to _touch_ them, a pink flash accompanying each errant nudge or shove and only serving to enrage the aliens more.

Finally, she jumped free of them and landed on to of the same dumpster Naomi was hiding behind, staring wide-eyed at the pinkette. Sure, it had been amazing, but what had bee the point of…

_HOOOONK! HOOOONK!_

As the air horn sounded, everyone's attention was drawn to the sixteen wheeler speeding across the street at eighty miles an hour. There was a dark figure at the helm, bearing down on the group with an intent to kill. A hundred feet before impact, the driver's cabin swerved ninety degrees to the left, throwing the tanker into a horizontal roll.

Each and every one of the aliens attempted to take flight, but found themselves held fast to the ground by pink energy, restraining them for the finishing blow. Like a giant rolling pin, the tanker smashed over them all and burst into a spectacular fire ball that left Naomi shaking in awe as a teen in a black cape with a blue face and red eyes just appeared from nowhere.

Jinx grinned and jumped down from her perch on the school's dumpster. "We bad?"

Kyd Wykkyd nodded firmly and held up a hand.

The pinkette slapped his open palm in the universal gesture of a high-five. "We're so bad we make it look _good_."

Kyd Wykkyd grinned toothily and waved to the kids who were looking on in amazement from their windows. Applause started up from the different classrooms as Jinx and Kyd took bows, trying to shrug off how _nice_ it felt to be cheered for.

So much of their attention was on the kids that they never noticed one of the aliens stagger from the flaming wreck his platoon had become and raise his charred arms, preparing for a strike that would, at the very least, break bones and stun the teens for the follow-up killing blow.

Then Naomi moved.

She could never explain it, but she knew, _knew_ that she had to protect the two. After all, they'd just done the same for her. Despite the fact that they were thirty feet away and she had only seconds to get to them. Time slowed down to micro-seconds as her body seemed to speed up, quickening inexplicably as the ground lost it grip on her form. By the time she made it to the two teens, she was almost _flying_.

She hit with all the force of a battering ram and knocked _both_ Jinx and Wykkyd away from the now-crater of their former location. Then she blacked out, Jinx's startled face the last thing she remembered.

The bad luck witch hurled a bolt of pink energy at the last remaining alien as it combusted in an improbable reaction of fuel and skin. Then Jinx looked down at the girl who had most likely saved their lives and shook her head.

"Remind me to figure out how much sugar a brat like this has to have to hit that hard," Jinx snorted, rubbing a bruised rib and looking at Wykkyd.

The red-eyed teen nodded and picked up the girl, looking into the nearest window and teleporting into it, placing the girl on the nearest rest-mat, and popping back out in quick succession. He sighed as he looked over the destruction they'd wrought in the name of protecting the kids.

It made him glad to be a villain, _he _wasn't going to be taking the rap for this mess.

It was then that their attention was drawn to the falling alien ship and silently decided to high-tail it over to the bay area to meet up with Phantom. Provided, of course, there was a Phantom left to meet up with.

* * *

It turned out that he was in the cannon mechanism.

That was the good news.

After completely destroying the giant space cannon, he'd decided to be extra thorough and take his 'complaint' to the ship's bridge. Of course, he hadn't expected a third party to have the exact same plan and show up at almost the exact same time.

"Who are _you_!"

The question was asked by the groups apparent leader and, as Danny was about to reciprocate, he noticed what the other teen was wearing. Red, yellows, and blacks clashed in an outfit that was almost fit for a circus sideshow and culminated in the tiny domino mask that shielded his identity from view. Danny's eyes widened as he made the connection and was left with one, all important question.

What the _Hell _was Robin the Boy Wonder doing here!

He had a cadre of other teens behind him. There was a younger, green boy with elfin ears and a purple jump-suit on. A cloaked figure with glowing white eyes drifted slightly behind them, the blue cloth fluttering in a non-existent breeze. Another, orange-skinned girl hung in the air beside them wearing what looked to be armor as she charged two green energy blasts that seemed very similar to his own ecto-blasts.

Finally, his eyes drifted to the largest member of the team. His skin was a mix of African-American tones and blue circuitry with gray-silver lining. One normal eye and one red-cybernetic one stared at Phantom for a long moment before realization dawned. Danny took another few seconds, but eventually noticed the distinct similarity to another teen he'd seen, nigh on three months ago now.

The cool January air seemed taught with tension as the two teens stared each other down, knowing exactly what would happen when one made a move. Finally, Robin realized the unspoken stand-off as he surveyed their surroundings. All of the aliens, including their leader, were down and he'd been just about to call the operation a success. If this new figure was an enemy, though…

"His name's Phantom," Cyborg said seriously, his tone grave. "And he's trouble. He's the reason I have to worry about my people yelling 'freak!' every time I go outside."

Robin's mind spiraled for a moment, but he remembered the reports that had gone out on the meta-human. Batman had been preoccupied with a Joker-related matter, but he'd forwarded the newly created dossier on Phantom to the Justice League files. His course of action was clear, now.

"Danny Phantom, I'm taking you in on charges of attempted murder, theft, breaking and entering, destruction of federal and state property, and evading arrest." The other teens eyes widened at the charges their leader leveled against the floating figure in the white trench-coat and sunglasses.

Raven blinked curiously.

_Phantom…where had she heard that name?_ She was sure someone on Azarath had mentioned the word as a name…referring to a specific person?

Danny frowned, he _really_ wasn't looking for a fight right now. "Sorry, I don't have time to be arrested right now…curfew, you understand?"

Cyborg raised his newly converted right arm and focused the blue energy cannon on Phantom's figure. "Like Hell you don't! You almost killed my parents and you're gonna' pay for that…one way or another!"

_Well, at least Silas had honored his wishes_.

"I don't want to fight, but I can't just go with you, either." Danny stated boldly, wondering where he got the balls to talk that way to the Boy Wonder.

"Then we have a problem," Robin said grimly, drawing his staff and twirling it threateningly. "Last chance Phantom…come quietly."

"No."

"Let's _Go_ team!"

On that cue, Cyborg opened fire with a rage-filled cry. Danny dodged the blast, not at all sure how the cannon would react with his own ectoplasmic make-up. The green elf seemed to run straight at him, then _changed_…

There was a brief flash of a bizarre mixture of claws, beaks, talons, and hooves before a green panther came clawing its way towards him. Danny went intangible reflexively, phasing through the changeling.

But not the follow-up starbolts that had been fired from the orange alien.

The impact was jarring as the spheres of energy detonated against his form. If he had to give an estimate, they were somewhere between Ember's blasts and Skulker's missiles. Still, they kicked like a horse on steroids and launched him backwards in a controlled fall. Taking advantage of the space, he phased through the floor of the lizard-alien's bridge, intent on escape rather than an outright fight.

He didn't expect to be met by a wave of black energy that forced him from the metal and back into the battlefield. His startled gaze met glowing-white orbs for a moment and then Robin was on him. As his mind rebooted, the Boy Wonder got in a lucky shot to the chin, worsening Phantom's already bad mood.

To make things worse, the alien craft had clearly been abused to the point of destruction, because it was now falling to earth in a controlled crash. Danny's Spook Specks lit up suddenly, tracking two energy readings…

And giving him just enough heads-up to dodge the second volley of starbolts and sonic cannon blast. Another phase through a green wolverine and Danny was left face-to-face with the dark sorceress.

"The is your last, chance," Danny stated, his voice practically glacial in it's chill. "You and your friends back off or I get serious."

Raven held his gaze as her innate empathy picked up just how dead-serious the ghost-boy was. The feeling of overwhelming cold was brimming with repressed emotions…rage, guilt, and a horrible anxiety that threatened ever _her_ control. The fact that these emotions were second-hand made her wonder just what she was facing…

"I don't back down," Raven stated with as much confidence as she could muster, shaking off the feeling that, where ever she'd heard Phantom's name before, it _wasn't_ a good association.

Danny nodded, "Fine."

Robin and Beast Boy were completely unprepared for _another_, identical copy of the ghost-boy to charge at them from seemingly nowhere. Starfire received another, and Raven yet another as the original turned to face Cyborg.

"I regret what happened to you and your family," Phantom said honestly. "But trying to arrest me won't change that fact and will get more people hurt."

"Like I'd believe a lying little spook like you!" Cyborg yelled, his sonic cannon firing again. Phantom dodged as he glimpsed one of his duplicates pelting the green elf and Robin with ecto-blasts and went intangible and invisible, ducking below Cyborg. This time, with Raven being harassed with another duplicate, there was nothing to stop him from getting below Cyborg and pulling him into the metal of the deck. When the black teen came out of phase, the floor held him fast as Phantom moved to double-team Raven with his duplicate.

Meanwhile, Raven had been fighting at her utmost limit of concentration. Phantom simply had too wide a range for her to easily match. Granted, she had enough tricks to play on even ground, too…

He would approach, she would hurl telekinetic objects at him.

He would go intangible and she would encompass him in black energy.

He'd phase through the simple binding spell and then go invisible.

She'd feel out for his emotions and then he'd fire off a few of those green energy orbs. Wash, rinse, and repeat. The stalemate persisted until another one of the four Phantoms took her from behind, disabling her with a burst of ectoplasm.

"Stay down," Phantom advised as the two took off, one each to deal with the slowly loosing Starfire and team of Beast Boy and Robin.

The Tamarainian flinched away from another volley of her opponent's energy blasts. Dear Clort! It was like fighting one of her own breed! Granted, she imagined even Blackfire would have considerable difficulty against this particularly opponent. His considerable strength, ability to conjure similar energy blasts, and flight were all on par with one of her own species…

The ability to copy oneself, phase in and out of the visible spectrum, and move through matter were all advantages that she did not possess, giving his the upper hand in combat without the use of great numbers.

Which they did not have.

Thankfully, high concentrations of energy seemed to affect the white-haired boy no matter his current state of being. Still, she could only throw so many starbolts before…

Robin stared as he watched another of his allies fall, taken by surprise by Phantom's duplicates. It was an amazing ability by itself…coupled with the others, though, it would most likely seal a win for the ghost-boy.

The Boy Wonder frowned as he hurled another ice-disk, watching in satisfaction as his aim held true and the element of surprise allowed the disk to actually _hit_ for once. He'd learned the hard way that normal attacks simply didn't cut it with this enemy, leaving him outclassed in a way he normally only felt against seasoned villains.

Beast Boy took advantage of the momentary surprise that Phantom succumbed to when the ice encased his arm, turning into an anaconda and wrapping around his prey. Almost instantly, the duplicate dispersed, having taken too much damage to sustain itself.

Beast Boy threw a satisfied grin towards Robin, which rapidly faded as he perceived the three remaining Phantoms charging their way. Luckily for both the changeling and Boy Wonder, Raven had managed to pull Cyborg free from the spaceship's deck with her own unique phasing ability. The resulting cannon-fire and black energy dispersed two more clones, leaving the original hanging in mid-air, surprised and vulnerable to the final volley of starbolts from Starfire who had dragged herself from the crater her forced landing had created.

An advantage which surely would have been used had not the spaceship's engine given a last gasp and failed, dropping into the ocean in one final plunge. Thankfully, the craft didn't sink through some miracle of engineering, but all of the Titans and Phantom were thrown off due to the sudden, rocking impact.

As they reoriented themselves, Phantom gave them a level stare, "Please, stop this before someone is hurt. I don't want to fight you, but you're forcing me to stop playing around."

Robin frowned openly…the reports on Phantom had a decidedly negative tint to them, casting him as some bloodthirsty meta-human that didn't care what got in his way. The teen in front of him was….well, not. He was tough-skinned, skilled, and headstrong, but wasn't overly violent in any way…

_Plus_, there was the question of what Phantom was doing on the ship in the first place? Still, if he wasn't as guilty as the charges against him held…why was he so resistant to being taken in? No, Phantom's temperament was too complicated and a resolution would only come if he managed to get him under an interrogator's lamp.

"You're coming in. I can't make exceptions for anyone…least of all a criminal with this much evidence against them," Robin stated, his face blank of emotion.

"I was afraid you'd say that," Danny growled, some of his repressed emotions leaking through. His concentration had taken several hits with not only the combat itself, but the destruction of his duplicates and those Starbolts, which disrupted his ectoplasm somewhat. The crack widened and the sky started to darken, a cloud cover rolling in far too quickly to be natural.

Beast Boy's eyes switched from the sky to Phantom's figure as it glowed with green energy, his trench-coat ruffling in the increasing wind. "Guys…this might be a bad time, but…"

Robin's eyes widened as a series of _lightning bolts_! slammed into the water around the fallen ship, Phantom's hands seemingly directing them. The wind jump another notch, water beginning to funnel into the sky as a vortex formed.

Then, suddenly, the forming hurricane dissolved into a torrent of water that formed a deluge of water…which quickly froze mid-air into a bank of the thickest fog any of the teens had ever seen. Robin didn't need any of the others to confirm what he suspected.

Phantom was already gone.

But why, if he had such power, had he just used it to cover his escape!

* * *

Ah, updates. Well, I received quite a bit of feedback from the last chapter. I'm glad to report that most of it was positive and the rest was very interesting. Well, the Titans (even if they haven't named themselves that yet) are here. They're big, they're bad, and Danny really didn't want to kill them. Can you blame him? Me neither. Also, we've got a little Cyborg/Danny fight scene, but more will follow. There will also be some other changes coming up as I move through the episode list.

Now, from here on out I'm going to be moving into the actual episodes. There will be a block of time before 'Divide and Conquer' occurs, but after that you might be thinking that each and every episode is going to happen according to what's been laid out in the series. Now, I'm not bitching or anything, but I am warning all of you cannon-nazis...why are you even reading fanfiction in the first place, anyway?...that I'm going to be playing fast and loose with the Titans storyline. I'm not going to really alter any of the major plot arcs, but I will change up the order of the episodes sometimes.

Why?

Well, for an in-story explanation you could say that we've entered the whole 'butterfly effect' scenario. Danny's involvement in Jump City has changed things for better or worse. So, if something happens that didn't in the main storyline, don't yell at me. For an out-of-story explanation, it's more along the lines of...everyone here has watched Teen Titans, right? Do you want to watch _the entire freaking series_ **again?** No? Thought not. Do you really want me to go, episode by episode and fight every battle...just with Danny Phantom there?

Whether you want me to or not, I won't. Why? It would be boring to read. More than that, it would be boring to _write_. I'm enjoying writing this story as much as many of you are reading it, but I have my limits. Being bored out of my skull is one of them. So...that's it for my little rant. Anyone who's curious about Danielle? I'm handing out a promise. Yes, a promise and as Naruto as my witness, I won't break it. The absolute latest I will get Dani Phantom in the story is chapter _16_. So, mark your calendars, Dani's coming.

Ah...as always, Read, Review, and Enjoy.

-Slayer Out!


	11. Sins of the Father

Slayer Anderson

HIVE Minded X

A Teen Titans/Danny Phantom Crossover Fanfiction

11/06/09

* * *

Chapter 10-Sins of the Father

Or

Eureka!

* * *

Anyone who knew Vladimir Masters, that is to say no one, would describe him as a man driven by obsession. The particular obsession he was driven by? Danny Phantom would say it was him. Madeline Fenton, if she had an inkling of Vlad's usual plans, would say it was her. Danielle Phantom could say, with some certainty, it was her. All three would be completely right, but also completely wrong.

Vlad wanted the one thing he had been deprived of all his life…

_Family_.

He wanted a wife and children. He wanted people who would accept his…eccentricities, no matter how bizarre. It seemed, though, that his own characteristics, both physical and mental, had barred him at every turn. In college he had been denied dates because of his geeky exterior or, after Jack Fenton's sabotage of his life-

-Deep breath. Inhale, Exhale. Jasmine had insisted that one step on the road to recovery was the removal of his paranoia towards Jack. It hadn't been sabotage; it had been a tragic accident.

After the _accident_, the ecto-acne had temporarily scarred his face so badly that he'd fled the college after receiving a clean bill of health. After his degree was complete at Gotham university he'd been drawn to Barbara Kean…

And it had almost _worked!_

One of his relationships had almost come to fruition!

Jasmine had insisted that he come to terms with that failure. She'd sent him off to that gothic city to settle things with Barbara once and for all. To…to apologize for his behavior that night. Now that the years had past, forgiveness had come easy to him, even with Barbara's husband and children overseeing the conversation. Jim Gordon was a good man, to have even let him in the door.

Granted, the police commissioner's service piece at his side had probably provided some sense of security, but the man had no way of knowing the gun would do nothing against him…

Still, the fact that he'd mended one of the many bridges he'd burned in his past felt good. It was a strange kind of satisfaction that was more pleasant than his latest million. But…that satisfaction had come at a price.

A price that had shaken him to the core.

He hadn't wanted to come back to Wisconsin, so he'd headed to Amity Park. For once, he'd forgone the expensive limousine and entourage and just…walked. Given his immense fount of ghost powers, he'd long forgotten the simple pleasure of a long walk to clear one's thoughts. He'd been so consume in his ruminations that he'd almost walked right by his destination.

Luckily, Jack could strike with a timing common only to comedians and vipers.

"Vladdy!"

Vlad looked up just in time to get crushed by a very large man in day-glow orange spandex moving faster than anything that size should. It was a testament to just how…strange his day had been that Vlad felt hardly any irritation at all in the embrace.

"Hello Jack."

Jack immediately dropped the man to his feet, eyeing him with an almost uncanny perceptive ability. "Vlad, buddy, you okay? You don't sound like yourself. And you should have told us you were in town! We would have rolled the red carpet out!"

"Actually, Jack, I came to see young Jasmine. You see, I need to talk to her about something and…"

It was a testament to the large man's complete faith in his 'friends' that he didn't question why his middle-aged buddy wanted to see his teenaged daughter. Instead, Jack just grinned and hollered up the house, dragging Vlad into the building in the process.

"Vlad? What are you doing here?" Maddie asked as nicely as she could. Granted, his saving Danny's life during that incident where the town had been dragged into the ghost zone had warmed her attitude somewhat, but she was still wary of her friend…

"Oh, hello Maddie," Vlad said pleasantly, with almost an absent-minded tone. Listening to his own voice, the businessman frowned. This was _Maddie_, you fool! The love of your life!

Then Jazz stepped into the room and all of his attention shifted to her. "Jasmine! I…um, wanted to see you about your prescribed treatment. You see, I recently got back from Gotham and…"

Jazz nodded patiently, listening as her trained gaze looked over Vlad. She had finely honed her senses in her quest to ascertain injuries her brother sustained, before she'd come clean with the fact she knew who he was. She looked for a rumbled appearance, dirty clothing, any tender movements that could indicate bruising, breaks, or sprains…

But Vlad didn't seem injured. Even though it was sheer habit that she'd started looking for the subtle clues on Vlad instead of Danny…she could still see some anomalies. His suit, normally immaculate, was wrinkled and slightly stained…he walked with a certain hesitance in her step that was unusual in his normally confident body language.

That, combined with the tense muscles around his forehead and eyes, indicated he'd been under quite a bit of stress lately. Motioning for him to stop, Jazz turned to her startled parents. "Mom, Dad, I'm going to take Vl…Mr. Masters up to my room. Doctor-patient confidentiality, you understand?"

Both adults blinked in confusion as their daughter led the their college friend up the stairs. Then, Jack turned to Maddie.

"Honey, did you know Jazzy-pants was a doctor?"

Maddie frowned. "Jack, sweetie, why don't you go work on the Fenton S.C.R.A.M.B.L.E.R?" After all, Jack would be crushed if she had to break Vlad's legs for touching her daughter while he was in the room. "I'll go make some tea and snacks for our guest."

Vlad was already half-way to the lab.

Jazz was unnerved by the vacant look in Vlad's eyes. It spoke of a man who had relieved a sudden, jarring blow to his world-view. She let Vlad lay on her bed as he spilled the events of the last few days. She took a seat in the wooden chair set next to her desk and retrieved a writing pad to take notes.

As Maddie made the refreshments, Jazz noticed something alarming.

Perhaps it was just the as yet unexplained shock to his system, but the half-ghost was more…open at the moment. His attitude had changed so much since she last saw him, it was amazing. She didn't expect this to last, though. It was only a matter of days, if not hours, until he reverted to his usual cold and closed-off exterior. She had to make the most of the time she had…

She asked question after question.

How did he feel about his ghost powers?

How did he feel about Danny?

His life?

Her father?

The image he painted was of a man scorned by society, tragically flawed by his baser instincts, and fallen to the dark side of his cunning and ambition. Then, when she'd thought she'd heard the most shocking of his deeds, the creation of clones…_clones!_ of her brother!

And then, as hard as it was to believe, he dropped the bomb on her.

"Jasmine," Vlad said, his voice thick with emotion. "What Barbara wanted to tell me…I have a _child_. A daughter! All this time I was looking for a family! And I…I never knew! I…"

Jazz was of two minds about the situation. One part of her insisted this was the same man that done so much to destroy her and her family. He'd flouted the very laws of nature in his quest! Over the weeks they'd been meeting to discus his 'problems' he'd been sarcastic, mean, and downright vile! He'd only even gone to see his ex-lover on her request to demonstrate the futility of her aims and humor their agreement.

The other part of her really _wanted_ to believe there was something, _anything_ good in Vlad. She'd always looked for the best in humanity, and this seemingly failed example was just one facet of their race. She wanted, with all her heart, to believe that she could save him.

Honestly she couldn't say _what_, exactly, had disturbed Vlad so about this specific sin. Perhaps it was that he hadn't committed it _consciously_. Perhaps it had just been one two many weights on his soul. Perhaps it was the knowledge that he'd accidentally crushed his own dream underfoot not just once, but twice-over.

Whatever it was that had turned the man she knew, or thought she had, into this broken thing before her…could she really rail at him, castigate him for all his misdeeds? Did she have it in her to absolutely destroy any hope this man had of ever being redeemed?

Even if he _was_ a crazed-up fruit-loop?

Jazz sighed and steeled herself, wrapping Vlad Masters into a tight hug.

The man stiffened like steel for a long moment, before slowly relaxing into the teenager's embrace. Then Vlad did something that surprised both of them. It may have been because this was the first real human contact he'd had in years or his reaction to the weeks of Jazz's trying to get close to him. The last wall he'd built up finally crumbled and…

He started to cry.

It was natural that Maddie chose this time to walk in on the 'doctor-patient' interaction.

* * *

All things considered, there wasn't any punishment handed out for the event. The creation of a team of superheroes, _mid-battle_, to combat the aliens wasn't something anyone could have foreseen. Jinx and Wykkyd were given course credit for the operation, as was Danny. The Headmistress was impressed enough that she slated the three as a 'b-team' in case Mammoth or Gizmo was incapacitated or unavailable.

The next two months were much along those lines.

The HIVE went back into isolation, Danny went back to classes, and the city saw the new superheroes establish themselves. Almost overnight, it seemed, the newly christened 'Teen Titans' wiped out what crime there was in the city and created a new landmark in the bay. Where the landing craft for the space-lizards had come to rest on the island in the bay, a giant shining 'T' was erected.

There were press conferences, establishing Cyborg, Beast Boy, Raven, Starfire, and Robin the Boy Wonder as a team of affiliated superheroes on call 24/7. They were to be privately-funded and would serve as an incorporated policing agency for abnormal disasters and acts of terrorism or criminality.

After the Justice League, it was a landmark in government-approved vigilantism. The fact that California was tacitly okaying a group of underage masked teens to police a city was absolutely unheard of and caused many to question governor Swarchenegger's sanity.

Eventually, Danny found out the full story of that night though some of the HIVE's contacts. How the Titans had unknowingly risked an entire city's destruction in order to save the life of that one orange alien. It had taken him a while to come to terms with how he felt about that.

It was stupid, hot-headed, brash, and…and…

Pretty damn heroic, if he was honest.

The fact that Starfire turned out to be something along the lines of a prisoner or kidnapping victim, rather than a convict only strengthened his conviction. He'd seen the team on several of his outing as Daniel Fenton, and had been genuinely impressed. They cared more about the people than the criminals, which was admirable, but they were also competent…

Much more so than he, himself, had been when he'd started.

Still, judging the new heroes was neither his business, nor even one of his main projects. He and Bumblebee had taken to having sparring matches, passing notes, and trading data cards with each other, amassing a huge block of information on the HIVE's infrastructure. It hadn't been easy to get her to work with him after that original altercation, but, in the end, they'd decided it would be better to work together than fight each other.

Especially since Bumblebee was still frightened by him.

And, of course, there was Jinx. He'd been straining to control his emotions ever since they started dating and now it was getting harder than ever. The pinkette seemed to take a perverse joy in tugging the ghost-boy into dark corners, jamming her tongue down his throat, and coping a quick feel before disappearing again. It was frustrating, especially since she'd started spending the night in his room.

He'd tried to say no, but…

She'd ended up curled up by his side almost every night this week, especially on nights when Blood wanted a report. She'd stated using excuses to defend Danny almost immediately, playing into Blood's misconception that Phantom was a formidable and intuitive foe that sabotaged her every attempt at assassination.

It was a temporary fix, at best.

One that Danny was trying his hardest to solve permanently. Bumblebee had received training from the Martian Manhunter and The Question, which left her able to resist Blood…marginally.

Given the source of the training, though, it was almost impossible to duplicate their teaching methods. After all, The Question was certifiably insane most of the time and a paranoid nutcase the rest and the Martian Manhunter was the last survivor of an other-wise dead race. So, Danny was on his own to find a solution to Jinx's problem and, if he didn't do it quickly enough, Jinx would misstep and Blood would know something was up.

He'd almost exhausted the library, the teachers, and the few students who weren't in Blood's grip who had any experience in mind control. What he was finding was depressingly vague and unhelpful. It seemed Blood at least had the presence of mind to destroy any literature on the subject…if there had been any in the first place.

During the long nights were Jinx had lain next to him, sleeping, and he'd switched between reading books, making notes, and watching her for several hours. It was…irritating that he hadn't been able to find _something_ to help his girlfriend. Actually, no, it was frustrating in a way that few things in his life had been.

Which lead him to the practice hall on more than one occasion.

Kyd Wykkyd's eyes widened as he teleported again, a green blast nailing the location he was just at. Danny narrowed his gaze as he pressed a small button on the Spook Specks, keying them to heat signatures. Wykkyd, he'd learned, was slightly cooler than the average normal human, but tended to give off a slight warmth when he exerted himself. Given how much Danny had been working the other teen…

_WHAM!_

Danny's eyes widened as Wykkyd slammed down onto his back, having teleported and fallen to gain momentum onto the unaware Phantom. Danny didn't phase through the ground, instead rolling and bringing up his hands to fire again. Instead, he spied a small shiny stone that had fallen out of his coat when he rolled.

Just like that, it clicked.

"Thanks for the spar Wykkyd! Gotta' go!"

Kyd blinked his eyes as he slowly dropped his guard and watched Phantom pick up…whatever it was he'd dropped and rush out the door so fast he didn't even bother opening it. Wykkyd shrugged and popped back to his room. If Phantom was done for the day, he had a paper to finish.

Danny rushed to his room, clutching the cracked gem of life tightly in his hand. He's stuck the damn rocks in one of his pockets at Thanksgiving and forgotten all about them. The coat had so many nooks and crannies…as almost anything his father created did that it was almost stupidly easy to do so. Shoving the stack of books he'd been sorting through aside, Phantom yanked open one of the footlockers he'd been using as a table and dug through till he hit Sam's parting gift.

"A freak by any other name," Danny muttered, grabbing Freak Show's book authored under his original name. It was a compendium of ghostly artifacts and Sam had already read it so she'd given it to Danny in the event he ran into something strange.

He cleared a space on his desk and placed the other three gems next to their brother. Turning frantically to the page detailing the Reality Gauntlet, he began to read…

The idea was fuzzy and vague, even after a week of ruminating on it.

The basics were incredibly simple: use what was left of the gems to create something which could protect Jinx's mind from Blood.

The specifics were…another story. The gauntlet itself was destroyed, so he have to make something to substitute, which was very risky. Given the nearly-shattered state of the gems themselves, he guessed he had _one_ chance at this before the power overrode their structural integrity and they exploded. Even if it worked, he needed to decide _what_ the device would look like, how it would work, did he want it to do anything else, and other specifics of it's design.

So far, he'd put quite a bit of thought into what he wanted.

It needed to protect Jinx's mind.

It needed to clear any remaining influence Blood (or anyone else) had in her head.

It needed to change her appearance.

The last was an addendum that had come when he'd considered their lives as super-powered individuals. Sure, Jinx had an alright reputation now, but her graduation exam was just a few days away and that would vast amounts of negative attention. It would be great if he could give her a way to hide her…unique characteristics. Of course, she'd need to be able to turn that on and off like his own transformation…

So ensconced was Phantom in his thoughts that he completely missed the oncoming mass of black and silver armor with half his face covered by an rust-orange plate. Phantom visibly shook himself as he looked up at the one eye gazing down at him, blank and intimidating.

"I'm sorry, sir." Phantom said, coming to attention. After all, this might be one of the guest-lecturers or a new staff teacher. "Please excuse me, I had my mind on other matters and wasn't aware of my surroundings. I apologize."

"Quite alright." The deep, soothing baritone rasp answered. "Actually, I was just looking for a student. You wouldn't happen to know where the Headmistress' office is Mr. Phantom?"

Danny blinked as he shook off the feeling that this man knew _exactly_ where the office was and had run into him for the express purpose of making conversation. After all, why would anyone want to talk to _him?_

"Yes sir. May I ask your business at HIVE Academy, Mr…?"

"Deathstroke the Terminator. Of course, that has become a bit of a mouthful. Most people call me Slade, these days. You understand, don't you…Inviso-Bill?" The man stated amicably.

Phantom nearly jumped at the name, but held back his surprise with an application of ice to his emotions. Instead, he sighed in apparent exasperation. "Yes sir, I suppose I would. I thought _that_ name hadn't ever gotten into the media. Where'd you hear it…sir?"

Slade nodded at the respectful tag on the question. It was more than he'd expect from most teens these days. "The names of prospective villains always reach the proper ears. As do…_heroes_."

Phantom's throat went dry at the tone and he clamped down on his powers, frost coating his gloves. "Ye-yes sir, I suppose they do."

Slade nodded as they continued down the corridors. "Indeed. Now, I heard the most interesting rumor that I had hoped you would be able to substantiate. During that…troublesome mess with the aliens…you apparently had a run-in with our newest branch of organized superheroes. Is this true?"

Phantom very briefly contemplated not answering.

_Very_ briefly.

"Yes sir, I did."

Slade nodded again, this time in satisfaction. "Excellent. What would your opinion of their skills then? An honest assessment, please?"

Danny was silent a moment as he collected his thoughts. "I would say they are…skilled. Individually, at least. They are each competent in their own abilities. I can't really say anything about their teamwork, seeing as how I was one of the first to face them…except that it seems that they have a natural inclination towards working together."

Slade hummed thoughtfully, tapping his chin as he meditated on the matter.

"Beast Boy seems to be almost wholly offensive. The only real defensive strategy he has is morphing into something small. Raven has the strongest defensive abilities, but also the widest range of adaptive supernatural talents. Cyborg has a technological edge, but tends to fly off the handle fairly easily…although that may just be with me. Starfire has the most staying power, can take some serious damage and get back up almost immediately."

"And…Robin?" Slade asked, doing his utmost not to sound _too_ interested.

Danny frowned thoughtfully. "He's…dangerous. Even though almost nothing he did could affect me, he's talented and observant enough to take every advantage available to him. And that pole of his _hurts_, by the way."

Slade snorted in a momentary bout of unexpected humor. "Very good observations, Mr. Phantom. I expected nothing less from Amity Park's premiere…villain. I will report your exemplary conduct to The Headmistress. Make sure to keep up the…_good_ work."

"Thank you, sir."

Phantom and Slade parted ways at the door to the Headmistress' office, Danny becoming ever-more convinced of two things. The first was that the entire conversation had been staged for some reason that Danny couldn't fathom. The second?

Neither Vlad Masters nor Brother Blood had anything on the man he had just met. Slade was frightening in a subtle way that neither of the other two villains could compare with.

* * *

Jazz hurled her bag onto the guest bed…no, her _new_ bed with every ounce of frustration she was currently feeling. People just-ugh!

Her parents just frustrated her _so_ much sometimes!

Sure, coming into her room to see her hugging Vlad _looked_ bad, but they could have at least let her explain! It wasn't like he was molesting her or anything! But no, her parents knew best! They _always_ knew best!

Like when they'd decided to construct a portal to another dimension _in their basement!_ Or when they'd decided it would be a good idea to try and kill their own _son!_ Hell, she barely blamed Danny for getting the fuck out of the city and away from their psychotic parents!

"Jasmine, we need to talk."

The red head looked up with a relieved smile. At least Vlad would hear her out. Granted, he tended to have more numerous and logical arguments than she did, but it was the principle of the thing!

"Yes Vlad? I'm…sorry my parents reacted that way."

The half-ghost blushed slightly in embarrassment. "Yes, well…it was quite excusable considering the situation. What I wanted ask was if you were certain this was a good idea…moving into my house, specifically. While you are certainly welcome and I can't blame you for wanting to get away from your _father_-"

Vlad paused and took a deep, calming breath.

"I'm sorry. While I can understand that you want to leave your parents' house for the moment, I could provide you with an alternative residence in Amity Park, in town nearby, or you could enjoy one of my vacation lodges in the country."

Jazz's smile lit up the room and startled Vlad slightly.

"Thanks, Vlad, but I want to stay here. After all, we still need to finish the plan to get Danny away from those…people," Jazz fairly _spat_ the word, "And we need to find your daughter."

Vlad nodded, seemingly in resignation. "Very well. You are eighteen so there's little I can do to argue with viewpoints of a legal adult. Skulker's latest report was quite illuminating. He's finished mapping the HIVE's superstructure and pinpointed key attack points. I still believe Walker represents our best choice of agents, though your idea to use Wulf does have merit."

"I thought Danny's association with Wulf would naturally lead him to wherever Danny is currently. He'd see Phantom as someone who could protect him, wouldn't he?" Jazz asked intently.

Vlad nodded briskly. "Yes…he might at that. It would add a level of plausibility to the warden's actions…and my own. I believe there are still a few details that need ironing out, but this is, by and large, a workable plan."

"What about Skulker?" Jazz asked suddenly and distastefully.

The businessman hummed as he considered the question. "Skulker will serve as backup. I do admit that he tends to get…overzealous with his hunt, sometimes."

"Sometimes?"

Vlad rolled his eyes at the insistence. "While I know you don't get along with him, Jasmine, Skulker is a valuable resource. His experience in hunting and tracking, as well as scouting has been invaluable to our operations."

Jazz sighed at the unspoken message. _Suck it up or get out_. Vlad might have a new, slightly more positive outlook on life, but he still maintained the ruthless methodology by habit. In any matter other than Danny, it had served him very well and usually outmatched her brother's capabilities also. Besides, he was right, she couldn't act like a spoiled little girl anymore.

"Okay, Skulker can stand guard. What about me?"

Vlad's face looked conflicted for a moment, before he sighed. "I want you to watch over the portal to the ghost zone. If Walker is successful, though I doubt it, he will bring Daniel to us through that method. Should I need to return due to an emergency…I will most likely need medical attention."

Jazz's eyes widened as she stared at the man. Spontaneously, she hugged him tightly once again. Quietly, she said, "Thank you…thank you for everything you're doing for Danny…and me."

While Jazz's face was pressed against his chest, Vlad decided to indulge in one, brief sinister smile. "It's the least I can do Jasmine…after all I've done."

_And all I have yet to do.

* * *

_

For all of those who actually thought Vlad was actually turning over a new leaf...shame on you!

And the true purpose of the reality gems has been revealed. Oh, and Slade got story time. Hm, for basically a preparation chapter this had a lot going on in it. Too much Vlad and Jazz in my opinion, but it had to happen. You now have an inkling of what is going to happen in the next few chapters. So far, it appears I'm juggling plots and sub-plots fairly well, which surprises me more than anyone.

Oh, and for those of you who think Batgirl (Barbara Gordon), oh, so close...but no. Vlad's daughter by Barbara Kean is...a secret! He and Jazz are looking for her identity right now.

Next chapter: Graduation!

Ah, another chapter down.

-Slayer Out!


	12. Confessions of Half Dead Teenager

Slayer Anderson

HIVE-Minded XI

A Teen Titans/Danny Phantom Crossover Fanfiction

11/08/09

* * *

Chapter 11-A Ghost of a Chance

Or

Confessions of Half-Dead Teenager

* * *

It had to be this week.

Scattered wires and the remains of a dozen Fenton Ecto-guns lay spread out across his room. They'd been cannibalized for the sake of the…the…whatever it was he was building. After all, he could only take so much from the school store or the resource pool. He'd started building a copy of the Reality Gauntlet from scratch and then realized that whoever built the damn thing in the first place was a whole lot smarter than him.

The only reason he'd gotten so far so fast was his duplication ability.

He hadn't slept in five days, so far…another two and he'd break his record. The combination of 24-hour workdays and five clones, his new upper limit, had pushed his skills to the max.

Of course, he could only merge with one clone after the extended research and experimentation he'd been doing. If he tried any more, the headaches from absorbing so many more memories and information got the better of him, leaving him almost immobilized with pain.

So, he'd been cheating. He'd had clones reading through different books, summarizing passages, and working on the copy of the Reality Gauntlet. Then, he'd destroy them instead of merging with them. It left him tired, but he'd forgone the usual sparing matches with Wykkyd and Jinx. They were both concentrating on their finals…

Danny had almost forgotten about his, but sent a duplicate out to take the tests for him. Maybe not the smartest of moves, but…he wasn't exactly in the best frame of mind right now. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that, if Jinx passed her graduation exam…and he had little doubt she would, she'd be out in the real world and ready to do Blood's bidding.

Then again, maybe it had something to do with the coffee he'd started drinking to help him concentrate…or the five days without sleep…or the fact that this _damn machine just __**wasn't WORKING!**_

Danny stopped, and the temperature of the air around him dropped thirty degrees from the slow death of his anger. Finally, when he could see his breath in the air, he slacked off. At least clouds weren't forming in the room anymore…

He turned his glacial countenance onto the device and glared, _willing _it to work.

The half-finished pseudo-reality gauntlet stayed irritatingly non-working. Danny sighed and sat back down, his face a mask of concentration as he tried to figure out exactly why none of the twenty-seven different configurations he'd tried in the last week worked. The science…if you could even call it that, was so advanced that getting the damn thing to work was like trying to solve a rubix cube, blindfolded, with your _feet_.

Idly, he wondered if this was what his father felt when he couldn't get something with the word 'Fenton' on it to work. Maybe that was why Jack acted like he did? Maybe he'd blown one too many brain cells attempting to bend the laws of physics… At any rate, he needed to get this done. If Blood found out Jinx wasn't under his control anymore…

The way stalemate they had couldn't go on forever.

In fact, they'd pushed their luck to the breaking point already.

So…if he couldn't get it to work…he needed someone who could.

In a saner state of mind, he might have never even thought of the plan, let alone decided to go through with it. It was an act of true desperation that deserved nothing less than an insanity plea…

He called his parents.

It would be another eight hours before he was called to the Headmistress' office, disrupting his increasingly successful work. Five minutes on the phone with the Fentons had given him enough ideas to keep him working for another week. Honestly, it was as if his parents…really…were…geniuses.

Danny shook his head as he phased through his door, slipping on the Spook Specks and straightening his trench coat as he moved. It was best not to think on that subject too much.

Jinx groaned, raising her beaten and battered form off the ground tiredly. Things had been going so well! Slade's stupid 'final test' had been easy enough on the outset. They'd faced the Titans, beaten them down, then taken the fight to their tower, and kicked them out of their home too. They were winning!

Hell, they had won!

The tower had been theirs for three days! Three solid days of their uncontested reign over the city. Then, like some bad rash, the Titans had resurfaced. They'd come back stronger, smarter, and faster than they had any right to be.

They'd separated her team, taken them down individually, and that annoying green elf had even trapped her in one of her own hexes! And that Raven, ugh! She, more than anyone else, needed a swift kick in the-

"Who is Slade?" Robin, the Boy Wonder himself, asked. Jinx didn't even half to look to see the look of intense curiosity and sense of entitlement. It was almost like he thought he _deserved_ to be answered, simply because of who he was.

"The name rings a bell, but there are other things I want to talk about."

All eight of the assembled teens looked up to see the slightly luminescent form of Phantom in all his glory. His own ambient aura seemed to silhouette his body against the darkening sky as a cool wind blew across the top of the tower.

"Phantom," Robin deadpanned. As if this day couldn't get any longer. "What do you want? And what do you know about this Slade character?"

"In that order? I want to take these three and walk away, no questions asked. And what I know about Slade? Absolutely nothing." Phantom stated with a tone blank of all inflection and a face blank of all emotion.

Turning to face Gizmo, Mammoth, and Jinx his face became grim. "Retreat. Code Bravo. I'll be covering your escape."

All three faces turned ashen at the words. They knew what those words meant.

_Failure_.

"Damn it Danny! We haven't lost yet!" Jinx cried out, still struggling to stand.

"Jinx, this isn't an argument," Phantom's voice cracked slightly, betraying his regret. "I know how badly you wanted this, but I have my orders…the same as you."

The pinkette's face contorted in impotent rage.

Danny focused on Gizmo and Mammoth. "Get her to medical or I'll make certain I supervise whatever punishment she has in store for you." If the icy death in his words didn't get them moving, nothing would. Phantom's arm came up reflexively to block the bird-arangs launched their way with an ecto-shield as he turned his attention back to the Titans.

"None of you are going anywhere," Robin stated firmly, "except jail! Titans Go!"

In a better situation, he wouldn't have done what he did then.

Robin was taken by surprise as his legs were pinned down by spontaneous growths of ice, rendering him immobile. He cursed under his breath and took out a bird-arang, ready to hack at the freezing restraints. Raven, sweeping by on a wave of telekinetic energy, rendered the point moot by phasing him through the ice.

In the meantime, Danny made sure his classmates got away, before being engaged by Cyborg. The large teen growled as his right hand transformed into a cannon, aiming it carefully. "You caught me off guard last time ghost! This time, I've got a surprise for you…time to meet the Sonic Shotgun!"

_Why doesn't that fill me with confidence?_

Instead of a beam of energy, Cyborg's arm fired a seemingly solid ball of blue light at bullet-speeds that left Danny unable to react quickly enough. The blue ball hit his chest dead on and knocked him back a dozen feet, slamming him into the ground.

"Okay…I'm tired of this now," Danny stated as he stood up. "I don't like hurting people. I go to extreme lengths to avoid it sometimes. Right now, though…I just don't have the patience."

"Whether or not you want to hurt us is not the question," Starfire pointed out as she aimed a set of Starbolts towards Danny.

"The question is: will you be _able_ to?" Raven finished, her dark magic lashing out. Phantom turned intangible and sank through the roof at the last moment, dodging both blasts. Emerging upright, his eyes flared green behind the Spook Specks as he charged a volley of ecto-blasts.

Beast Boy (in the form of a falcon), Starfire, and Raven, were all knocked out of the sky as green balls of energy rained up from Phantoms position. The attack only stopped when Cyborg launched another ball of energy from his Sonic Cannon, catching Danny in the side this time.

Danny growled as his hold on his powers slipped and clouds began to form in the night sky. More and more…he was wondering when things would come to a head with these heroes. He'd escaped last time without doing undue damage, but…

Could he do the same this time?

What he needed, he thought as he stood up again, was an attack powerful enough to stun them long enough for him to get away…like he had with the fog. Only this time, he wasn't close enough to water level to try such a strategy without risking flooding parts of the city.

That left _one_ option.

Phantom phased through another set of Robin's bird-arangs, letting them harmlessly pass through him…

Until the electrical charges detonated.

"_AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!_"

Phantom went down screaming as the discharge knocked him back into phase with reality, a prime target for Raven to grab hold of.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

The sorceress' eyes glowed white as a curtain of dark energy wrapped around Phantom, as thick as the night itself. Frustratingly, this time he couldn't move through the magic…he doubted he could even if Robin's attack hadn't momentarily disrupted his phasing ability. There was something more…_solid_ about this attack than last time.

"Look at that, we caught the little ecto-stain," Cyborg growled, his hand coming up to strike the ghost-boy.

"Cyborg!" Robin reprimanded, "he goes to jail. That's what we agreed on."

The large teen's face contorted in a mask of repressed rage as his hand slowly came down to rest at his side. "Fine. He's not worth it anyway."

Danny struggled to calm his breathing as Raven's magic maintained her hold. He might want to give each of them a good kick in the ass, but he didn't want to _kill_ them, which is what would happen if he lost control now. Ice began to slowly form over his coat and jumpsuit.

"Where's the HIVE?" Robin asked, looking around.

"They vamoosed," Beast Boy admitted. "I tried to get a trail and keep an eye on them, but _he_ gave me a nasty crash landing!"

Robin frowned and turned his attention back to Phantom. "Where are you friends?"

"Gizmo and Mammoth are no friends of mine," Danny growled out. "And I wouldn't tell you if my life depended on it. Now…I'm going to ask nicely…let me go."

"Dude!" Beast Boy yelled. "You're captured! We win, you loose. Get over it."

"Beast Boy is most correct. We have…whooped your hindquarters?" Starfire stated happily.

Danny blinked, turning his gaze to Raven and raising a single snow-white eyebrow. "Is she…serious?"

"Sadly enough…yes," Raven deadpanned, sighing. Turning to the Titans, "Am I going to hold him here all night or is someone going to get the containment spell I prepared?"

"How about neither?" Danny asked suddenly, inhaling deeply.

Raven's eyes widened as the blast of sound hit them head-on.

* * *

Robin slammed his fist into the wall.

"Argh! Phantom's gotten away from us twice now! How does he do it!" Robin asked the heavens, his frustration carrying through the halls of the tower.

"More importantly…_why_?" Raven asked, holding one of her capes over an arm. It would need to be washed immediately…it smelled of cinnamon and lavender, a curious combination that seemed to conflict as much as it did blend…

_Hm…maybe it doesn't need to be washed _right_ now_.

"What do you mean _why_?" Beast Boy asked from his place on the sofa as he massaged his ears tiredly. "I mean, that dude has more powers than I have morphs! Every time we knock him down, he gets right back up again and throws something new at us!"

"I _mean_," Raven said disdainfully, "that's if he's obviously so powerful…why just stun us? Why not finish the job?"

"It is most confusing," Starfire chimed in. "From what your news programs have told us and Robin's computer…Phantom is supposed to be as vicious as a clorg-thrumper during mating season."

Robin shrugged off the nonsensical analogy and began to pace across the room. "Raven's right. It is strange that a villain that powerful would back off like that. Considering what we've seen…intangibility, invisibility, flight, ice powers, weather manipulation, duplication, that sonic attack, and those green blasts; Phantom has the upper hand over everyone of us."

He gave his team a moment to let that sink in. He didn't want to know what would happen if one of them decided to challenge him one-on-one. "That said, his affiliations and history mean that we have to take him in regardless of whether or not he's non-violent."

"Winston Churchill once said that 'the conqueror is always a lover of peace. He would like nothing more than to take over unopposed," Raven stated, doing her part in the discussion by playing devil's advocate.

Robin raised an eyebrow, which translated to a strange movement of his mask. "I don't buy it. He genuinely seemed to not want to fight us. Both time he's used delaying tactics and escaped rather than attack outright. Why, though?"

_BAMM!_

All four teens looked in the direction of the noise, seeing Cyborg's massive robotic fist over a new crack in their table. "Look, ya'll can debate Phantom's motivation night and day, but I'm gonna' get some sleep. Call me when we have a lead."

Robin watched him go, a grim expression on his face.

"Dude," Beast Boy moaned quietly, "Not cool. I still don't see what has Cy in such a grump-fest about Phantom…"

The Boy wonder shook his head. "It's his story to tell Beast Boy. Unless it becomes a problem, I won't interfere…we all have our own demons to face."

Raven's grip on the perfumed cloak tightened painfully.

"But he has a point," Robin interjected, surprising the remainder of his team.

"…We should all start the counting of the lambs?" Starfire asked.

There was a synchronized blink at the group processed the thought and dismissed it. Robin shook his head again. "No Star. We need to figure out Phantom's motivation. We've had two encounters with him…besides his powers, what can you tell me about him?"

Raven's eyes unfocused slightly, her focus drifting backwards as she pictured their fights. "He represses his emotions extremely well. What little I can feel from him is potent and heavy."

Robin's frown deepened.

"Uhh…" Beast Boy said slowly. "He smells really weird."

The Boy Wonder blinked. "How so, Beast Boy?"

The green elf rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "He smells like…like…like that cape Raven's holding!"

All three teens blinked at the gothic sorceress, who blushed under the attention. "Phantom didn't get anywhere near my room…I think that pink witch did, though…Jinx."

"But why would the cloak…" Robin trailed off as the thought finished, facts snapping together in his mind. His cheeks flushed deeply as he remembered Phantom's words…

"Gizmo and Mammoth are no friends of mine," Raven stated, following Robin's train of thought. "Well, _that_ certainly explains why he came to HIVE's rescue…especially if he has her scent all over him."

Starfire and Beast Boy blinked, trading confused looks.

"But what about his 'orders?' And why was he on the alien's ship two months ago? He didn't seem to want to take anything…" Robin trailed off, frustration making itself known on his face.

"What if the Phantom really does not wish to hurt us Robin?" Starfire asked quietly.

"He's not leaving us much choice," Raven stated grimly. Still, she remembered that choking torrent of guilt and anguish that had erupted from the ghost-boy. "We're going to need something more than a gut instinct to give Phantom the benefit of the doubt."

Robin nodded. "We can get to the bottom of this if we can catch Phantom. Then, we'll see what we can do about this Slade character."

* * *

"You Asshole!"

He phased through the cafeteria tray.

"You absolute Dick!"

He forced himself not to flinch as a knife went through his forehead.

"Hot-headed Jackass!"

This time it was a student who hadn't moved quickly enough.

"I never want to see you Again!"

This time it was Mammoth.

He'd given Jinx a day and a half to cool down from his intervention in her final exam, and taken the opportunity to finish the device to protect her. Still, it looked like she was angry at him. Couples' fight in public were never a pleasant thing, much less so when meta-humans were involved. Jinx, however, who had never had a serious relationship before…

Pink light exploded into existence in her hand and she held it threateningly at Phantom, her eyes brimming with tears and anger. She was breathing hard and hadn't bothered to change from her battle dress. The entire picture screamed 'danger' to Danny's senses as he dared to take another step towards the witch.

…well, Jinx wasn't handling what, in her eyes, constituted a betrayal, well.

"Don't take one more step or I'll turn you into a puddle of self-centered ectoplasm you…you…MAN!" Jinx cried irrationally.

Danny came to a stop and held his hands out, palms open and spoke as non-aggressively as he could manage. "The Headmistress told me to pull your team out Jinx. If it were up to me, I'd want nothing but to help you kick those heroes into next week."

_Not exactly true_, but he _was_ fairly angry at them for putting him in this position.

"Jinx, I care about you and I don't want to see you like this. Come back to my room and you can lay down for a while. I'll…I'll do that _thing_ you like all evening." Several eyebrows in the crowd went up at the terminology, but Danny couldn't care less about the attention he was getting, or how badly he was blushing.

Jinx wavered, but shook her head. "No! You dragged me back here so I wouldn't graduate! You don't want me to leave The HIVE!"

"Jinx," Danny coaxed, "That's not true. I wanted you to graduate. I even spent all week on you graduation present. I just finished it and was still going to give it to you…if you wanted it."

The pinkette blinked and smiled hesitantly. "Really?"

Danny nodded and pulled out a small box from one of his coat pockets. He flipped the box open and presented it cautiously to Jinx. Her eyes widened as she looked in and saw a ring. The band was white gold with intricate carvings running around it and a small stone mounted into the top. It wasn't a gem she'd seen anywhere before, but it glittered pink and looked black in shadow…

"It's perfect," Jinx stated, her eyes tearing up for another, altogether different, reason.

Danny smiled and slipped the ring out of the box and put it on her finger. Perfect fit. "Now, let's go to my room and you can kick Gizmo and Mammoth's asses tomorrow for letting you fail."

Jinx's arms were immediately around his neck, her mouth on his. "You're sweet," the pinkette grinned. "And you'll wear the dress? All night?"

Danny bit the inside of his cheek to stop from screaming in frustration as the rumors started up around him. "Yes."

"Yes...what?" Jinx asked mischievously.

Danny took a calming breath and sighed. "Yes, I will wear the dress. All night."

"Good," Jinx stated and jumped into his arms.

Danny sighed as he carried her back to his room…at least he could get a little privacy now to explain the ring to her. And…other stuff.

* * *

If she had to describe the sensation…

It was like the sudden uncertainty when you lost your footing or slipped, but didn't fall. Then, there was a sudden, jarring certainty that _something_ had changed. Then, her hair was a strawberry blonde, her skin a pleasant tan, and her eyes a rich hazel.

It was…strange, especially when she saw another face staring back at her in the mirror. She couldn't fault Danny's taste, exactly, but it was just weird. Jinx sighed and turned to regard her boyfriend, mincing suggestively all the way to his bed.

"So this will protect me against, Blood, huh? Well…I think you deserve something special for being so…thoughtful," Jinx practically purred, making Danny blush as she pulled off her blouse.

"Jinx…we still need to talk," Danny protested quietly. "Now that Blood can't get to you, I need to tell you some things."

"It can wait," Jinx shrugged, pulling off her dress. "I need to _thank you_."

"It can't wait," Danny interjected, swallowing nervously as he frosted-over his emotions. "I've been lying to you and I want it to stop."

Jinx's eyes widened at the almost angry tone, stopping her cold as she sat down on the bed with Danny. "Okay…you've been lying to me. Considering that you just gave me a really nice present and saved me from a vicious mind-controlling bastard, I won't hurt you now that you're going to tell me the truth."

There was a long pause as Danny looked into Jinx's currently-hazel eyes. They might have been a different color, but the promise of feminine fury and repressed violence was one he'd seen many times before. He'd seen such in Sam's eyes only occasionally, but with Jinx…

With Jinx, violence seemed to be more of a lifestyle choice than a response to any given situation…

"You are going to tell me the truth now…right?" Jinx asked, a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"Yes," Phantom stated. "But I want you to know that I care about you first. I want you to remember that I'm your boyfriend for as long as you want me. That's my first priority right now…nothing else. Do you understand?"

Jinx blinked. That…wasn't the response she had expected. Danny tended to be circumspect in making points and a little wimpy when he wasn't fighting. If she was honest, it was one of the things she found attractive. Danny's personality allowed her to dominate the relationship easily, which she enjoyed, but his almost…chivalrous attitude towards women, and her in particular, meant she could always enjoy having a 'knight in shining armor' come to her rescue anytime she was in trouble.

…like with the Titans.

This…seriousness was disturbing and she sighed as she felt the stress of the situation mount. "You know, this better be something important and not some lame joke. Otherwise you aren't getting in my pants for another month."

Danny blinked, but shrugged Jinx's attempt at lightening the mood off. "I…I wasn't a villain before I came to the HIVE, Jinx."

Jinx frowned and Danny looked past the strange face she currently wore to the confusion in her eyes. "My name…before I became Danny Phantom…was Daniel James Fenton. I was a normal, fourteen year old kid, whose parents happened to hunt ghosts. No, I'm serious. They're a pair of spandex-wearing nuts, but they're my parents and they're also inventors. One of the things they made for hunting ghosts was a ghost portal…the Fenton Ghost Portal."

Jinx blinked, her attention drawn to the almost…irritated way Danny stated the last term. It almost sounded like a title. "Is there anyway it's different from a _normal_ ghost portal?"

Danny stared at her, his green eye and deadpanned expression communicating utter solemnity. "It has the word Fenton in front of it."

Jinx stared, her jaw threatening to fall off. "You're kidding."

"No…I'm not. And that's part of the problem. My parents tend to built shit that would make grown men and women gape in awe…right before it backfires in some unseen and usually highly ironic fashion."

Jinx's eyebrow twitched as the story continued. "I'm going out on a limb here and say that it backfired," She stated sarcastically.

Danny snorted. "Like you wouldn't believe. So, keep in mind this was about two years ago. I was…well, stupid back then. To really tell you what I was like…I was a naïve little shit."

The bad luck witch stared, somewhat alarmed at the bitterness and resentment she heard in those words. "I don't know if it helps, but I've always thought of you as cynical and experienced."

"Strangely enough," Danny noted. "It does. Well, the Fenton Ghost Portal was designed to let my parents access the ghost zone so that they could study/hunt them up close and personal. I suppose, given that objective…it gave them one Hell of a ghost to study."

"Me."

Jinx's eyes widened as twin rings of light burst forth around her boyfriend's waist and eclipsed his form, leaving a ordinary-looking teenage boy. He had black hair, blue eyes, and slightly pale skin…wearing a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt under a black trench coat.

_"HOLY SHIT!"_

Jinx jumped upright and off the bed as Danny sat, tense and carefully still, not trying to spook, pardon the pun, his girlfriend.

_"HOLY SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! HOLY FUCKING SHIT!_" Jinx paused, breathing deeply for a few moments before closing her eyes and snapping them back open. _"HOLY FUCKING DAMN IT ALL TO HOLY FUCKING SHIT!"_

Danny stared as Jinx cursed as much as he'd ever seen her in their entire relationship. Finally, after a litany that would put any sailor to shame, the currently-not-pinkette seemed to calm down as she marched up to Danny and slapped him.

_Hard._

Then she kissed him.

_Harder._

When she came up for air, she flopped down, boneless, on Danny's bed and stated, in a subdued tone, "If you ever do anything like that to me again, you won't be getting into my panties for another _year_."

"Yes dear."

Danny sighed as he stretched his human limbs for a brief moment before standing up. His ghost powers were weaker in this form, which made it both a blessing and a liability…but it still felt a little weird to be human in the HIVE.

"Going Ghost!"

Jinx favored him with a dull expression as the transformation reversed itself, leaving Phantom. "I object to the corny catchphrase…it's stupid and immature and I don't want my boyfriend looking stupid and immature…especially to me."

"No more catchphrase," Danny said quickly, idly mourning the loss of his trademark transformation battle cry.

"So you're…part ghost-part human," Jinx said slowly, her mind coming to terms with the development. "I guess I can deal with that. It does make the issue of necrophilia easier to stomach…though I was actually looking forward to breaking that taboo."

Danny wisely said nothing to _that_ announcement.

"Half-ghost. All of the other ghosts call me a halfa," Danny explained, trying to get his story back on track. "When I first got my…powers, I tried to hide them. That…didn't work to well. Then…other ghosts started coming through the Fenton Portal and wreaking havoc in the town. And well, I just thought…"

"I'll try and do some good," Jinx stated quietly, her voice faraway, "I'll try to help people. I've got some nifty super-powers and I can make a difference in this whole good versus evil thing."

Danny's eyes were fixed on his girlfriend as she stared at the ceiling of his room, her eyes fixed on something that was only there in her mind. "Jinx?"

"I tried the same thing," Jinx whispered almost…regretfully? "When I was five or six, this guy kept coming around my orphanage, hitting us up for money and threatening the kids. I thought, 'hey, I'll just kick his ass and he'll go away and I'll be a hero and the kids will want to be around me and my freakishly pink hair and eyes.' So I did and everyone was scared of me and the adults kicked me out."

Danny's hands tightened into fists of impotent rage as he reflexively reached for the ice to subdue his anger. Slowly, he reached out and picked Jinx up to cradle in his lap. She was limp in his arms and didn't fight him over the matter.

"Pretty much the same for me," Danny stated quietly. "I had a friend or two stick by me that made it bearable…for a while. I saved the city a few times, even, but…at the end of the day, I was still a ghost and that meant I was evil, or mean, or…something that people didn't want around at any rate."

"So, I tried to do the right thing. I kept saving the day. My payback? I got hunted by about every single armed individual in the entire ghost zone and the city of Amity Park. Not to mention a special group of federally sponsored ghost-busters."

"You were a naïve little shit," Jinx sighed as she kissed his throat. "I like you better this way, though. So is this where you tell me that you're going to leave this HIVE of villainy and go back to fighting evil, you want me to come along and forsake my wrong-doings so that we can live happily ever after?"

Danny snorted as he kissed his girlfriend gently. "No."

"No?" Jinx asked, seeming amused and surprised by the answer.

"No. Jinx, you're a thief. I know that you love this life and if that's what you want, I'm with you for as long as you want me. Besides, I'm not a hero anymore. I don't even know if I _want_ to be one anymore. I will say that I'm going to destroy the HIVE, though. The Headmistress is an evil bitch and Brother Blood _will_ pay for what he did to you."

Jinx shivered at the cold rage that crept into Phantom's voice at the mention of the man. More than that, though, it was the fact that he actually _cared_. She'd known before, but the fact that he was willing to go _this_ far, just for her…

Jinx slept soundly that night.

* * *

This week has been a fucking nightmare.

No, it's been worse. It was so bad that I don't want to even rant about it. I've barely had any time to write, I barely got any sleep over the course of five days, and I just got out of one of those stupid standardized testing sessions. After this I'm going to bed. At noon.

Anyway, Titans got some screen time, that was good. Next chapter...I can't think about right now...might be Danny gets his weapon...might be plot exposition or a little of both. Head hurts.

Okay, Slayer Out and in bed.

-As always, Read, Review, and Enjoy.


	13. It Glows and It Stabs People…Nifty!

Slayer Anderson

HIVE-Minded XII

A Teen Titans/Danny Phantom Crossover Fanfiction

11/14/09

* * *

Chapter XII-First Date Complications

Or

It Glows and It Stabs People…Nifty!

* * *

Danny had never been to a party like this.

The warehouse had undergone a hasty conversion from storage building to combination bar and dance hall. The music was definitely grungier than anything Jinx listened to normally, but the pulsing beat fit the atmosphere nicely. Overall, it was a dark, dingy, and stereotypical teenage party that would have sent his parents into screaming fits.

Of course, he was having a great time.

Jinx had demanded a date now that she was clean of Blood's influence and had a disguise that wouldn't leave people staring or her arrested. Granted, Jinx wasn't actually supposed to be outside the HIVE, but she'd made a rather large show of not wanting to be disturbed in Danny's room for the rest of the day. Given her rather violent display of temper, people were inclined to let someone who _could_ handle her deal with the situation. None of the teachers were of any particular mind about the rather overt references to sex that were being made, but that was one of the perks of being a HIVE student.

Luckily, the HIVE wasn't quite as secure as a STAR lab, so Danny had had minimal difficulty in getting him and his girlfriend out into the city. They'd gone out to eat for pizza, caught a movie, and Jinx had dragged him down to the docks when she'd picked up word of a party. The fact that it was their first date meant that they had both dressed for the occasion.

Daniel Fenton had switched his T-shirt and jeans for a black silk button-down and black slacks with his coat over them. Wearing a pair of cheep shades he looked imposing and almost…vampiric given his pale skin. It wasn't quite as white as it would be in his ghost form, but he'd never been one to get a tan, either.

Jinx…or rather Jennifer, had forgone her usual outfit and pulled out a black vest to go over a long-sleeve purple blouse and a pair of tight leather jeans. The only trace of her favorite color, that eye-bleeding neon pink, was a pair of shiny gloves covering her hands. She'd left her hair down and the blonde curtain hung down to her shoulders in a loose and sloppy manner.

"You're a good dancer," Jinx laughed as she tore across the dance floor, dragging Danny with her. "I thought you'd have two left feet!"

Danny snorted and grabbed a pair of cokes as they passed the bar again, dropping a five for the expensive bar drinks. "Gee, thanks. You know, my parents might be goofs but they did teach me and my sister how to dance. They tended to like these working parties…"

"-The kind where old people drink and dance and dress up kids like little dolls?" Jennifer asked idly, her mouth twitching as she imagined her boyfriend in a tuxedo.

"Exactly," Danny sighed as he twirled the blonde and caught her around the waist. "It was either sit there drinking soda for five hours or let my sister or one of the other girls pull me onto the dance floor."

"Why didn't they just get a babysitter?" Jinx asked as Danny bent her nearly horizontal.

Danny snorted and tapped his ice powers as he felt his faint connection with his powers come alive with the stronger surges of emotion Jinx inspired in him. "Well, if you knew my parents you'd understand, but sitters were always hard to come by. When I was six years old, my parents accidentally pulled the house into another dimension and we were pretty much…weirdoes."

Jinx stared, her movement stalled for a moment as her currently-hazel eyes widened comically. "I…have to meet your parents. They sound awesome."

"They're dangerous crazy people," Danny interjected as he lean in for a slower dance. "I consider it a miracle that I'm survived childhood."

Jinx grinned, her eyes glinting with mischief as she kissed Danny. She really liked Phantom and would always consider that body Danny's more natural one, but his human form held a certain allure to it, she supposed…

He seemed more relaxed when he was like this…but more tense at the same time. As she swept a sheet of blonde hair away from her eyes in mild annoyance, Jinx considered the thought. Maybe it was the fact that, even though he was pretending to be normal right now…he knew he wasn't.

He was also weaker in this form…even though he hadn't said anything about it.

He didn't move with the same confidence Phantom did, even though there was a sureness in his step that set him apart from the average person…suddenly, she smiled as an errant thought flew through her mind.

"Well, since I don't have any family, we're going to spend the holidays at your parents' next year! Do they give good Christmas presents?"

Danny tensed. "Bah-Humbug!"

Jinx stared, before bursting out in laughter so hard, she collapsed into her boyfriend. "Yo-yu-you can't _actually_ hate Christmas!"

"You'll find I despise most, if not all, family-oriented holidays. Christmas has a special place in my heart. It's a place full of spite and cynicism," Danny stated. "My parents have managed to completely ruin each and every Christmas, destroy every piece of holiday cheer, and almost obliterate our house. I would rather spend the holidays with Vlad Masters than my parents."

"I would rather spend the holidays with a billionaire, too, but I don't…know…any," Jinx said slowly as understanding dawned in her eyes. "You're kidding! You really know Vlad Masters! He's one of the richest men in America, right up there with Lex Luthor!"

"In more ways than one," Danny said sourly. "The cheese-head is my arch nemesis and wants me to follow in his evil footsteps."

"I'd say you're doing a pretty good job," Jinx said quietly, "After all, I bet _he's_ not so evil that he hates Christmas. Still, don't most evil masterminds have like…kids or something, to take over their evil empires?"

Danny shrugged as he pulled Jinx over to a wall, letting them lean against it and rest for a few moments. "Well…aside from that time he tried to clone me and then destroy Danielle…"

Jinx frowned as Danny's breath came out in a cool breeze, stirring the wind around them. She ignored the slight pang of jealousy at the mention of another girl's name. "Danielle?"

"My…clone, cousin, something…it's a little confusing. She disappeared and I'm worried about her. She was…destabilizing when she left. I'm really not even sure if she's still alive," Danny stated somewhat morosely.

"A clone, huh?" Jinx asked. "Does she look like you? She must be pretty cute, then."

Danny shrugged. "She looks about nine or ten years old, but she has a lot of the same powers I do or she might develop them," the halfa stated, thinking of the 'ghost sense' Dani had displayed during their brief association.

"I'd like to meet her, sometime," Jinx stated, hiding the smile that resulted from hearing Dani's age.

"Room for one more?"

Both teens looked up to see a cloaked figure standing near them, her face covered in shadows that were dark even by comparison to the dimly lit warehouse building. Both Danny and Jinx hid their surprise well as Raven of Azarath approached silently. They looked at each other before shrugging warily.

"I don't know," Danny grinned cockily, "this wall is prime real estate. Very exclusive." Inwardly, he cringed, cockiness was his default strategy when dealing with threats and while they weren't immediately under suspicion, this could go very bad, very quick.

"I think I make the cut," Raven replied, her lip quirking. Reaching out a hand, she offered it to Danny. "Raven…but I'm guessing you already knew that."

Jinx frowned, staring at the gothic Titan with an unreadable expression. The undercover ghost-boy reached out with his own hand, "Daniel Fenton, but everyone calls me Danny."

Something flickered at the back of Raven's mind, but subsided almost instantly. "Nice to meet you…and your…"

"Girlfriend," Jinx finished. "Jennifer…call me Jen, we go to school together. So you're one of the famous Titans…do you really cut out dead people's hearts to use in your spells?"

Raven pressed a hand to her face, heaving a long-suffering sigh. "That is the _last_ time we let Beast Boy do a press release. No, I am not a necromancer, nor do I consume people's souls…that's also a popular question."

Jinx smiled in a way that made the Titan feel vaguely uncomfortable. "Do you mind if I talk a little shop? I'm only familiar with the second Order of Ra and the Nordic and Egyptian Glyph systems, but I'm always looking for pointers?"

Raven cocked her head and felt out the blonde girl's aura. It was…subdued, but oddly familiar. Still, "For a witch…the Order of Ra is pretty advanced. Have you covered the Book of Set?"

Jinx shook her head. "No, but I have taken a look at the Horus Texts."

Danny blinked as the conversation devolved into increasingly esoteric references to Egyptian gods, then some Roman or Greek gods, then the words began to morph into Latin and the ghost-boy shook his head slowly. Waving his empty can in the air he said, "Can I get you ladies anything?"

"Coke."

"Water."

Danny nodded absently and left his date and her new…_friend_ to talk about the secrets of the universe. So consumed in the bizarreness of the situation was he that, before he knew it, Danny had taken a wrong turn and ended up climbing to the top of a flight of stairs that led to the roof.

"This…is not the bar," The teen observed slowly.

"No…it is not," a deeply depressed voice answered from the edge of the building. The halfa blinked and turned to see an orange-skinned, purple-clad girl in a skimpy tube top and mini-skirt. She wore decorative, but functional, metal bracers down to her hands and what seemed to be thick-soled metal-lined boots.

"Ah…Starfire, right?" Danny asked, smiling as the alien perked up. "I was talking to your friend, Raven, before I went to get drinks. She's probably still chatting up my girlfriend…if you don't mind me asking, why don't you join the party? It seems like your friends are having a good time."

Danny inwardly damned his still-functioning conscience.

"Yes," Starfire began slowly. "I believe my friends are having a very nice time with my sister. I am feeling like…what is the earth expression? A second wheel?"

"Third wheel," Danny corrected idly, then paused. "You wouldn't happen to know any flying purple…robotic space…squids, would you?"

Starfire blinked, realization dawning as she spun and saw three of the large drones, identical to the one that had attempted to capture her earlier that day. Her eyes widened as they began to approach at high speed. Turning back to the black-clad boy she'd been talking to, she yelled out in an urgent voice-

"Please to be running away! I will fight the space squids!"

Danny raised an eyebrow and reached into the space between his coat and the back of his shirt. Rolling his eyes, Danny spoke in a mocking feminine tone, "Don't bring the guns Danny, we're going to a movie! It's just silly to walk around expecting a fight! Ha!"

To Starfire's surprise, he drew out two firearms, both sleek and futuristic-looking beyond the normal state of the technology she'd seen on Earth, he grinned.

"Don't worry," he addressed Starfire, "I can take care of myself."

And then Starfire couldn't be concerned about the strange teen anymore as the robotic space squid attacked her. Almost immediately, Danny fired off a series of shots at the drone…

Which did absolutely nothing.

"Oh for the love of-!" Danny yelled, "Why does _everything_ deflect these stupid ecto-guns!"

"I agree, the lack of explosions is most disheartening," Starfire stated as her blasts met the same fate. "As my friends do not seem to be coming to the rescue…would you happen to be having of the ideas?"

Oh, he had _plenty_ of ideas…that were all not workable in this situation due to his secret identity. Sighing, Danny dodged a set of tentacles as it tried to grasp him, letting Starfire grab him and pull him out of their reach.

"Drop me," Danny commanded as on of the squids honed in on them from below and the other two approached the alien from the sides. Starfire hesitated a moment, then let go, dropping the teen onto the mass of purple space robot.

Danny grinned as Starfire occupied herself with the others…

He reached a hand _though_ the metal and froze the internal mechanisms solid, riding the dying beast back to the roof of the warehouse. Taking up his ecto-guns, he turned to provide the alien girl support fire…

Only to be blind-sided by one of the remaining robots.

Reflexes kicked in and Danny hung onto the bulk of flying metal, the gun in his hand turning translucent as he stuck the firearm _into_ the purple squid, _then_ opened fire. Even though the resulting explosion sent him hurtling towards the concrete wall of the stair-shed, he found the destruction of the robot quite satisfying…

"Aw, _shit_!" Danny cursed as he turned again to find the remaining robot had captured Starfire and was flying away. To make matters worse, she was still conscious and staring directly at him…

In other words, if he went ghost, she'd see it.

"Where the _hell_ are your friends?" Danny muttered as he created an invisible duplicate with a focused burst of concentration and had it turn into Phantom. The unseen copy flew towards the captured alien like greased lightning, exceeding the robot's squid by a vast margin. The youngest Fenton sighed as his duplicate burst through the machine, making it explode in a flash of light and ball of fire…

Thankfully, Starfire was left floating, singed but unharmed.

And, naturally, _that_ was when the reinforcements came bursting up the stairs, a blonde with hazel eyes dressed in purples and blacks with pink gloves trailing closely behind them.

"_Thank you _new friend! You are most helpful indeed! Might I ask your name!" Starfire gushed as she proceeded to crush…greet the strange black-clad teen.

"Ah! Breathe!"

Robin cocked his head as he approached the teen Starfire was addressing, making note of the wreckage littering the roof of the building as he went. There had obviously been a substantial fight in the past few minutes, but the team had only assembled when one of the bots exploded and drew their attention…

Looking over the teen himself, he was thin, probably a year or so older than himself, and looked distinctly uncomfortable being hugged. "Star, that's enough. Thanks for the help, though…sorry we couldn't get here in time to back you up."

"No problem, uh…Robin. Name's…Danny. Danny Fenton, just doing what I can to help," the ghost-teen grinned at the Boy Wonder, which proceeded to fade as Jinx marched up to him, grabbed his jacket's lapels, and drew him into a searing kiss.

_Then_ she slapped him.

"I'm glad you're safe," She explained, her eyes radiating relief and anger, "but I'm _pissed_ that you got into a fight with…"

Jinx took a moment to assess the downed robots.

"-purple space squid-robot things," She finished somewhat lamely. "You're wearing the dress again tonight, mister."

Danny winced. "Ji-Jen, c'mon! I had it under control! I swear! Look, I even brought the ecto-guns in case something like this happened!"

Jinx frowned, but sighed. "Fine. I'm still tired, though, so let's-"

"_Oooooh!_ Who's the cutie-pie!"

A muscle in Jinx's eye twitched spasmodically as a dark-haired older copy of Starfire floated through the skylight. She had purple eyes and a mocking sneer on her face as she looked Danny over like a piece of meat…

A low growl bubbled up from the bad luck witch's throat. She could stand Raven…_hell_, she even kind of liked the dark Titan. Plus, there was a certain nihilistic thrill in chatting with someone so powerful as the gothic sorceress. On a good day, she might even be able to stand the other Titans…

Granted, they were generally _annoying as hell_ in and of themselves, but she dealt with Gizmo and Mammoth enough for it not to be an issue. But this…this-_Whore!_-dared to look at _her _boyfriend like that!

_Fuck That._

"My boyfriend," Jinx deadpanned, wrapping an arm around Danny possessively and sending the dark-haired Tamarainian a look that clearly said _hands off!_

"Oh really," The teenage alien drawled, flicking a lock of hair over her ear dismissively. "Well, I suppose there's no accounting for taste…name's Blackfire, cutie…wanna' have some fun?"

Danny frowned at Blackfire and wrapped his own arm around Jinx's waist. "No thanks." Briefly, he nodded at the Titans in general and Raven specifically. "I better be going. Jen and I need to get back to the dorms before someone notices were gone."

"No prob dude!" Beast Boy exclaimed, "See ya' round!"

"What the grass-stain said," Cyborg grinned, "You do one Titan a favor, we all owe you one!"

"Really, it wasn't a big deal," Danny dismissed as he moved to follow his girlfriend…and walked straight into Blackfire's hovering form.

"Aw, C'mon…I'm sure the little girl can keep herself occupied for a few hours," Blackfire wheedled, eyeing Danny lecherously.

Danny looked over his sunglasses as his eyes met Blackfire's, exposing her to an artic blast of his ghostly aura. It wasn't anything any of the Titans could actually get a solid _feel_ for, but…

Blackfire paled dramatically, her skin going sickly as she maintained the gaze.

And she saw…_death_. Cold, icy, death…unforgiving darkness that awaited everyone at the end of their allotted time. Her lungs almost seized as Danny stepped around her form, leaving her frozen in the air, her eyes wide with fright. Then he turned and grinned at Raven, "See ya' round."

The gothic Titan nodded pensively.

"I thought you were done being a hero," Jinx sighed quietly as they descended the stairs. "What were you doing up there anyway?"

"I'm not a hero anymore," Danny responded, equally quiet. "I don't deserve to be one. That doesn't mean I can't help out when I get the chance...and I took a wrong turn when you sent me for sodas. Sorry."

Jinx shrugged. "Whatever. Raven's actually a good conversationalist…when you get her going. She gave me the names of some really interesting books I want to look up when we get back to the HIVE."

Danny frowned at Jinx's dismissive tone.

She was angry with him for something… He _had_ promised that she was his first priority just a few nights ago, then he'd ended up in a fight, without real access to all of his powers, and dealing with the Titans as well…

Ice welled up as he considered the Titan's tag-along. That little bitch just didn't know when to quit. It was good she'd finally taken the hint or Jinx would have turned around and snapped her neck. Danny frowned at that thought.

His girlfriend was very possessive and she probably _would_ have gone through with it if she'd been pushed much farther. Finally deciding on a course of action, Danny spun Jinx and pressed her against the wall, pressing his lips to hers.

The bad luck witch's body shuddered at the cold form, much too cold for a normal human, that pressed up against her own. His hands touched her form lightly before pressing in more deeply, caressing…Jinx bit down on his lip as a thumb flickered over a _very _sensitive spot on her left breast. After a few more breathless moments, the ghost-boy pulled away, leaving his girlfriend gasping and wide-eyed, her stare unfocused and shocked…

"I'm sorry," Danny whispered close to her ear. "But I will occasionally save people or do the odd good deed. That doesn't mean I li-love…that doesn't mean I love you any less."

Jinx sniffled, wiping away a small tear from her eyes as she spoke, "You're absolutely infuriating sometimes, Danny. Other times, though…"

"-Let's just get some sleep."

Danny was left, blinking, in the stairwell.

* * *

_Go there. Steal this._

Honestly, he was pleasantly surprised by his latest mission…not necessarily the fact that it was _stealing from a museum_, more the fact that it was simple. It was easy. It wouldn't require an epic battle with every possibility falling against him, barely pulling out a passable victory in the very end…

Of course, victory was something he hadn't seen much of since coming to the HIVE. He didn't lie to himself on that subject, at least. He hadn't _won_ against the Titans. He'd run away. Granted, he'd done what he came to do, and he hadn't even come to start a fight, but circumstances had conspired against him.

After that mess in the warehouse club last week, he was starting to believe that _something _was dedicated to making his life as hard as possible. Still, the last week, all things considered, had actually been pretty nice. Blood had been distracted by something, taking his attention off the ghost-boy and Jinx in the process. It was one of the small periods of time that he'd actually gotten to relax.

But, like all good things, it had to end…

This mission wasn't a team retrieval, a bank job, or some other insanity.

No, as much as he _hated_ the fact that he was doing it, it was refreshing to merely steal from a museum. It was the Jump City Museum of Technology and it was, ironically, guarded by nothing more than a primitive alarm system and a short squad of military police in silver armor and laser pistols.

Phantom stepped in though the wall, his invisible form all but soundless as he glided through the air and looked over the many different exhibits. There were primitive swords, shields, tablets recording all manner of applied sciences dating back thousands of years. But that wasn't what he came for.

Danny drifted through the centuries, idly wondering if this was what Clockwork felt like, before coming to rest over a small brass-encased clock. The small nameplate for the piece read:

The Eternity Clock

His invisible and intangible hand reached out for it when-

"_Stop_! Put your hands up!"

Danny's eyes widened as he slowly turned to the two men holding rifles aimed at…

"I think not. You see, I'm on a very _strict_ schedule and I'll have to ask _you to Freeze_!" The man in the strange, golden suit stated with a sneer and a hand-wave. Immediately, a massive block of ice super-imposed itself on the guards, encasing them in ice.

"Ah, the Eternity Clock!" The man stated, grinning, as he emerged from the black portal that had formed in mid-air. "Yes, a treasure of the past…priceless in the future." His hand moved through the glass, reaching out for the ancient mechanism before…

It disappeared.

"_WHAT!_" Warp cried, his head twisting about as he tried to pinpoint what had taken his rightfully stolen treasure. "Who-!"

"I think that's our question! Who are you!" Robin cried from his place on the balcony, his team gathered around him.

"The Teen Titans!" The time-traveler cried out, "Well, I suppose I came to see relics of the past…I am Warp, here to steal the Eternity Clock, and I will not have my prize kept from me by a team of juvenile heroes!"

Danny, still invisible, snuffed out a smile and _very slowly_ began to drift towards the nearest wall. He had almost reached his target when a red, cybernetic, eye swiveled to lock onto his invisible form. Danny froze, hoping against hope that…

"Where ya' goin, Dead Beat? Party's just getting stated!" Cyborge yelled, bringing his sonic cannon to bead on Danny as his grin widened to almost malicious proportions.

…that Cyborg wouldn't be able to see him. Danny cursed loudly as the orb of the sonic shotgun flew towards him, impacting him as he shielded the clock from damage with his own body. As the energy washed over him, he fell to rest against the wall he'd tried to escape though, his body both solid and visible, and his eyes smoldering with cold irritation.

"Why can't _anything _I do ever be easy!" Danny asked, his voice tense as he tapped into the ice that froze his emotions.

"Nothings ever easy for a criminal," Robin growled, his attention torn between the two figures.

Warp eyes widened as he caught sight of the black and white-clothed teen, his bleached jacket, and the pair of dark sunglasses. "Phantom!" He almost chocked on the name, then his eyes narrowed. "Of course, you always were the best of the heroes! It seems I can't escape you even in the past!"

There was a long, _long_, _**long**_moment of silence as the collective teens processed _that_ tidbit of information. Suddenly, Warp raised his hand-mounted hourglass cannon and fired a bolt of energy at Phantom, his legs pushing him to follow shortly after. In the stunned aftermath of the time traveler's announcement, both the Titans and Phantom allowed themselves to be taken by surprise by the decisive action.

The Eternity Clock was knocked free from the ghost-boy's grasp and into Warp's as the Titans swung into action. Robin let loose a volley of bird-arangs, watching in irritation as they exploded against the villain's energy field. Starfire produced a similar number of star bolts, letting them loose on the time traveler.

Meanwhile, Cyborg took off independently, his cannon leading as he assaulted the ghost-boy. Phantom frowned and threw up a green shield of ectoplasm, blocking the brunt of the blast as he flew backwards in retreat and into the Hall of Ancient Technology. Exhibits on loan from the British Museum flew past as he led Cyborg into the room, right before another solid blue ball of energy slammed into his back.

From his vantage point, he could vaguely see Raven and Beast Boy as they assaulted Warp with black magic and lion's claws, respectively. Cyborg, though, was focused on Phantom with a deadly intent.

Danny took a calming breath as he floated upright, his hands blazing with ectoplasm as he charged a shot. Cyborg wasn't obliged to wait for the ghost to finish, instead launching his left hand towards Phantom…

…which flew the ten feet, anchored by a long rope of metal, and latched onto Phantom's arm, much to Danny's surprise. Cyborg smirked as the servos kicked in, the mechanism slowly pulling Danny towards him.

"Like it?" Cyborg asked, "Made it specially for you, ghost. It doubles as an electo-inhibitor, so don't even think about phasing out of it!"

"I understand that you want to keep a good grip on me," Danny smirked cockily, "But you have to understand, I don't bend _that_ way."

The half-robot's face blanked for a moment, before clouding over with rage. The servos in his left arm kicked up a notch as he whipped the ghost-boy over his shoulder, flinging him to his back next to a small glass display case.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?" Cyborg asked as he took careful aim with his cannon. Danny's eyes widened, staring at the oncoming figure in shock. The older teen _wasn't _going to arrest him, he realized belatedly…

He was going to kill him.

Granted, he wasn't sure what, or if, a death could be inflicted on him or the effect that would happen after, but he wasn't particularly inspired to find out. His mind whirled with ideas, each taking to long to mount the appropriate defense…

In desperation, an intangible hand reached out for _something_, _anything_ to protect himself with…his hand reached _though_ the glass case and grabbed the hilt of a rusted, dented, and decrepit long-sword just as Cyborg opened fire. Danny pressed the sword defensively between himself and the enraged teen, silently begging it to hold out against the blast.

The next second was a blur of intense, electric blue light and a sudden, unexpected flight across the room at speeds that would give a bullet whiplash. He felt now one, but two collisions as the room around him faded and a tunnel of dark energy closed around himself, Starfire, and Warp…

Against the floating backdrop of hundreds of thousands of ticking clocks and the jumble of limbs that came from three people trying to gain some vantage, Danny grabbed the central node on Warp's suit as his other hand, still hanging onto the long-sword with a death grip, reached out to balance his uncontrolled tumble…

He didn't see as the blade sank into their surrounding, sawing an edge into the very fabric of time, swirling and ripping the energy into strange currents and eddies. The only thing he _did_ take notice of was the flood of energy that slowly flooded his left hand, his arm, and up to his shoulder…

Danny screamed out in the void between time as Starfire yanked the vortex regulator free from Warp's suit, Danny hanging onto the device for dear life. Then, everything went black.

When Phantom opened his eyes, it was snowing.

And it hurt. Good blazes did it _hurt!_ Sucking in a deep breath, ice surged up to quell the pain and panic as he slowly sat up, his left arm hanging limply, weighed down as if by some enormous pressure. The scenery around him was depressingly bland, covered in snow and ice out into the somewhat familiar bay of Jump City.

Only somewhat familiar because the skyline had changed so much…

Danny's eyebrows knitted as he fought the confusion that threatened to overwhelm him. Instead, he sat there in the snow for a few moments, getting his bearings until a whimper and the sound of moving snow behind him caused him to turn, wincing as he did. The orange alien girl, Starfire, was looking at the immense structure that loomed over them, a giant 'T' of a tower that Danny's back had been to.

It was cracked and broken, dingy and rust covered…

"Well, _that_ can't be good," Danny muttered, accidentally attracting Starfire's attention. The alien raised a fist charged with green energy, her eyes glowing as she prepared to-

"Whoa! Wait one minute! I tell you guys _every_ time I don't want to fight! Would you listen to me for _once!_" Phantom cried, raising his (working) right arm in a palm-out gesture of non-aggression.

"But you are most vile!" Starfire yelled. "You have injured my friends, stolen much money, and are very mean!"

Danny sighed. "Look…at the moment I'm not in much condition to do anything," he said, gesturing to his left arm, which was still lifeless. "How about I agree to come quietly in exchange for medical treatment at that tower of yours?"

Starfire blinked and bit her lip, looking torn between concern for a fellow living (sort of) being and suspicion at the villain's words. "This is not…how do you say? A front-stabbing trick?"

"Back-stabbing," Danny corrected absently. "And no. I promise to be a good captive and not try to escape until I'm at least healed. Deal?"

"Agreed," Starfire stated warily. "Do you need aid in standing?"

"No, I-" Danny stated, then fell over into the snow. "Yes. Yes, I would very much like help. Would you please help me?"

Starfire giggled slightly as she pulled the white-haired boy from the snow, almost effortlessly standing him upright. It was only then that both of the teens noticed the blade Phantom was still gripping in his left hand. Frost had grown over the blade and his hand, distorting the shining lines of brilliant blue-green surging energy that crisscrossed his jumpsuit arm, glove, and down the gleaming surface of the flawless steel long-sword. Danny's eyes widened as he took in the sheer…_brilliance_ the blade exuded, as if it had just been forged.

Starfire's eyes were wide as she took in the sight. "Your sword is most…shiny. On Tamaran, a weapon of such caliber would be worth a hundred zorkas."

"Thanks…" Danny stated awkwardly as he watched the Titan clip a white disk onto her belt. "Now…If I can just…" Working the fingers of his good hand into the spaces between the grip of his bad hand, he managed to pry the weapon loose, dropping it into the snow in front of them. Gingerly, he picked it back up, sighing in relief as nothing happened.

He gave Starfire a wry look as he fixed a makeshift-sheathe for the blade out of the belt that ran through the loops of his trench coat at waist-level. He'd never actually tied the coat closed and the holster dragged the blade somewhat clumsily, but it left his good arm free to work. "You know…taking into account my other injuries, at least I got a sword out of this one."

"You are…not bleeding, are you, enemy-Phantom?" Starfire asked as she looked over the strange lines of energy that flowed like water over the fabric of his coat, his jumpsuit, and, presumably, his skin…

"Not that I can tell," Danny stated as the two began to float awkwardly towards the Titan's Tower entryway. When the doors failed to open, the key-pad failed to light up, and Starfire's irritation and worry grew, she simply brute-forced the mechanical gate open, leaving them standing on the threshold of a dark and seemingly empty building.

"Friends?" Starfire yelled into the bleakness. "Is anyone home!"

"Maybe they went out for pizza?" Danny asked unconvincingly as he peered into the darkness.

Starfire frowned, but conceded the possibility silently.

As they neared the main room, Starfire was practically crying with worry, especially when they found the empty living room, strewn with what seemed like strange party decorations and chiming bells. The alien girl picked one up and it crumbled in her hands.

Danny searched for something to say, but, in the end, just collapsed into a chair tiredly. Finally, after a long moment of silence, a pair of doors off to the side were thrown open and a figure cloaked in shadows stomped through.

"Okay Jokerz, you want a fight, you got a-" The blonde woman, her blue eyes wide, stopped dead in her tracks as she took in the two people before her. "You guys…aren't Jokerz…are you?"

* * *

"So you're Starfire, huh?" The blonde woman asked sometime later as she pulled her large brown coat tighter against her body. Meanwhile, her other hand was closely examining Danny's left arm and the matrix of blue-green energy that covered it.

"Indeed," the alien princess stated. "Would you be so kind as to tell me where my friends are, Ms…?"

The woman snorted, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she looked to the Starfire, "Terra. I'm not quite old enough to get a Ms. At least, I _hope_ I'm not old enough. Anyway, you've been gone for a while Starfire. Robin used to tell me stories about you, but the rest of the team got really moped around when you were brought up, so he stopped talking about you…"

Terra sighed. "They searched for you, you know. For months. They were still looking for you when I joined the team. It was…hard for them, to admit they'd failed you by not finding you."

Starfire eyes became wetter and wetter as Terra pushed on through the story, the eventual break up of the Titans, and her guardianship of the Tower. "Sorry if it's a little messy…fixing things was never my strong point. Cyborg was always the go-to guy for that stuff…but after his parents told him about Phantom-"

Danny grabbed her arm, giving her a silent look that commanded silence. Terra swallowed and nodded, remembering _why_ it had been a secret in the first place and looked to Starfire, who was blinking in confusion. If there was even a _chance_ she could get them back home…

Besides, it wasn't her story to tell.

"-after his parents talked to him, Cyborg quit the team. I…don't really know what happened to him after that. Something…really tore him up inside."

There was an awkward silence.

"But I know where Raven, BB, and…um, _Robin_ are…though he doesn't use that name anymore. If you want, I can even help you find them! Hey, that's what heroes are for, right! Terra of the Titans at your service!" The blonde girl shouted as she jumped up, giving Starfire a thumbs-up and grinning broadly.

"You wouldn't…happen to know about a girl named Jinx?" Danny asked cautiously, wondering about his girlfriend in this future.

Terra's enthusiasm faded abruptly. "Oh…Jinx. Yeah…she um, she's kind of a touchy subject around here…"

Danny frowned, but the woman refused to say more on the subject.

Their first trip was to a small home in the Jump City suburbs.

Starfire was quiet as they rode the slab of earth that Terra controlled seemingly effortlessly. Phantom was talking quietly with the heroine as she mulled over the dark future she'd found herself in. Well, to be fair, it seemed normal, but still…

_15 years…_

Her friends had invited the Reck-mahs, the drifting, and slowly broken up over the years because of it. The only memory of their team's existence was the broken relic of their tower and a lone hero who still stood vigil. And to further complicate things, Phantom, their enemy for many months now, was being…

Well, not exactly _nice_, but not mean either.

Much like Raven, he seemed naturally cold and defensive towards other…and very perceptive, as he turned, feeling the alien princess' gaze on him. Shifting his left arm gently in it's sling, Danny raised a snowy eyebrow.

"You're staring," Phantom stated.

Starfire looked down, somewhat intimidated by the villain. "I am…sorry. I just…do not understand you. Robin does not understand you either. You do not seem to want to injure us, but you fight most fiercely and honorably against us."

Terra kept an ear trained on the conversation as she guided the rock over the city. After all, it wasn't often you got to hear a pair of legends shoot the breeze.

"Just because I'm not with you doesn't mean I'm against you," Danny stated coolly. "I'm not an evil bastard like Cyborg probably wants you to believe. I'm not a lily-white hero like the Boy Wonder's reputation paints him as. I've done some good things and some bad, not that it's really any of your business."

"But why must you be such a bad person!" Starfire cried, ignoring the comments about her teammates. "I am sure Robin would help you...turn over the new branch?"

"Turn over a new leaf," Danny corrected. "Starfire…thank you, I really mean it, but I have do things that your friends wouldn't like. I'm not a good person and I don't deserve redemption."

The cold finality in Danny's voice stopped Starfire's protests before they began. There was almost absolute silence as they landed in the front yard of the suburban home. Both waited quietly as Terra knocked on the door.

Neither expected a buff green man in unkempt military fatigues to answer the door. His eyes brightened when he caught sight of Terra, then widened in complete disbelief as he beheld Starfire and Phantom. The blonde earth-mover saluted smartly and grinned.

"General Garfield, permission to speak, sir?"

* * *

It feels so good to get back to writing again. This chapters a little longer than normal, but probably won't have anything on next chapter.

Granted, next chapter is going to take a bit of time to get out. I've got a bit of work ahead of me this week, so be patient with me. As far as global concerns go among my readers...I have one pretty big one, that I've noticed. Danny and heroism:

First off, you don't have to be a hero to be heroic. Second, Danny knows what he's been doing isn't right. It's taking a toll on his conscience. Does he want to be a hero anymore? Yes...maybe not specifically in Amity Park, but he would love to be a hero again. The thing is, he doesn't believe he has any right to be one. He thinks he's fallen to far, gone too deep into the darkness, and has too many sins on his conscience to be redeemed. Third, this is a symptom of his youth...he believes in the concept of 'all or nothing.' He's either a hero or a villain. Right now, circumstances have dictated that he wear a 'black hat,' so to speak. Will this always be the case? No. I think I've foreshadowed that things will change...in a big way.

As always, if you're not specifically mentioned, thank you for the time and attention you've given to my story.

As Always, Read, Review, and Enjoy!

-Slayer Out!


	14. It Just Doesn't Pay to be the Good Guy…

Slayer Anderson

HIVE-Minded XIII

A Teen Titans/Danny Phantom Crossover Fanfiction

11/15/09

* * *

Chapter 13-There and Back Again

Or

It Just Doesn't Pay to be the Good Guy…

* * *

Phantom watched in no little shock as the burly green man _snaked_ around Terra and snatched Starfire up in a hug that rivaled the alien princess' usual ones. For a few seconds, no one moved, then Starfire almost broke Beast Boy's back as she reciprocated a little too generously…

"Ow! 'K, you're Starfire alright," Beast Boy said weakly, grinning from ear to ear. "Damn it's good to see you! Turn's out Robin was right I guess…Warp really did take you into the future! Man…I must look ancient to you guys!"

"You look…very good, friend Beast Boy," Starfire stated, looking over the army uniform her friend was wearing. "You are…a soldier, now?"

"Well, first off, it's Garfield now; haven't been Beast Boy for a few years. And…well, I'm a bit of a soldier, I guess." Beast stated sheepishly as he fingered his buzz-cut short hair.

"He's a general," Terra reiterated. "One of the youngest in American history."

"Still low on the totem pole," Garfield stated, shrugging. "But, hey, I'm moving up in the world. I see you got Phantom there with you, though…has he heard about…?"

Terra shook her head, giving Danny the distinct impression that they were discussing something he _did_ want to hear about. "Look," Danny stated firmly, "this whole reunion thing is great, but we need to get home."

Garfield and Terra traded looks.

"I'd…like to help, but I'm not an egg-head like those guys in R&D. I'm on the tactical end. The Doom Patrol gave me a good grounding in the stuff and after Cyborg left…Robin needed someone to step up to the plate. Guess it kind of seemed natural to join the service after the hero thing fell through."

The green man shook his head, displacing the memories that had erupted from seeing Starfire again. "Anyway…I'd check with Raven. She might have some of that hocus pocus to send ya'll back. If you need help with a throw-down while you're in town, though, give me a hollar! The Beast can get your back just like the old days!"

"Please, Bea…Garfield, we would very much like it if you would accompany us," Starfire pleaded.

The general made a face. "Eh, thanks, but…Rae and I don't get along so well. After that mess with her old man…-"

Terra suddenly slapped the back of his head, pressing a single finger to her lips. "Quiet you idiot! They haven't even…_you know_! You remember all that stuff Raven said about paradoxes all those years ago…if they suddenly popped up?"

"Don't say anything about the big stuff," Garfield stated grumpily, rubbing his head. "You know, this is why we never worked out…you always were a controlling bi-woman!"

Terra flinched back, looking hurt as Garfield's face fell, realizing what he had said. He reached a hand out, but stopped, stepping back onto his door mat and away from the blonde. Frowning, he turned back to the wary faces of Phantom and Starfire.

"Look, I might be on leave, but I'm still on call if something happens. Besides, I'll just get in the way. It'd be better off if you just went over to Raven's place without me…oh, hey Phantom…com'ere for a sec?"

Danny blinked, but followed the general into his home, despite Terra's uneasy look. Reaching towards a nearby bookcase, he grabbed a framed picture, giving it to Phantom. In the photo, there were several people that he recognized…one of which was his girlfriend, perhaps a little older than he'd last seen her.

She had an arm thrown around Raven's shoulders and was giving the camera one of her 'devil-may-care' grins. The gothic Titan was staring off into the distance, a half-smile and blush coloring the visible part of her face. Next to them were, presumably a younger Terra and Beast Boy, both wearing smiles and embracing closely.

"Team photo, right after Cy and Robin jumped ship," Garfield stated. "Look, I know I'm not supposed to say anything, but…"

There was a long moment of silence as the former hero searched for the right words. Finally, he nodded and began to speak.

"Okay, I was stupid back when Terra and I were dating. I can't tell you what, but, _something_ happened. Something big. If you and Star do make it back…after Cy's parents tell him what happened between you and them-"

"-Does _everyone_ know about that?" Danny interjected, his breath freezing as he cooled his irritation as he handled the photo with his uninjured left arm. "The whole point of it was that no one would know!"

Garfield snorted. "Yeah, sure. Little advice on that too…Cy really beat himself up over that. Old Silas _is_ going to tell him, it's only a matter of time. You're going to need to talk Cyborg down from leaving the Titans when it happens or he'll disappear. He and I were pretty tight back in the day, but I still miss him sometimes, ya' know?"

Phantom nodded and looked back to the photo, "Jinx joined the Titans?"

"Listen, and I'll tell you," Garfield stated, cutting Danny's question off. "Anyway, Terra's going to go through a hard time and I won't be there for her. It'll hurt her, big time. If you do make it back, I'd like you to bust me upside the head if it comes to it."

Danny grimaced, before nodding after a long moment.

Garfield smiled, then it faded as he looked over the photo again. "As to Jinx, well…after you disappeared, she put everything she had into bringing down the HIVE, wanted to make you proud of her. After that, Raven and her…bonded, I guess. They were both creepy, into that weird magic…"

The green man shrugged and tapped the picture sadly. "I never really thought Jinx should have been on the team. Raven…never forgave me for that, I think. They were good friends…maybe more…"

Danny's eyebrows shot upwards at that remark.

"No one really had the guts to ask," Garfield admitted sheepishly, smiling a younger man's smile. "They could both be pretty scary when they wanted to be."

"Where is she now?" Danny asked quietly, readying himself for the worst.

"Raven was in charge of the funeral."

It still hit him like a physical blow to the gut and Danny had to try hard not to keel over. Garfield steadied him as he replaced the photograph, carefully minding the teen's injured left arm. When he'd regained his physical and mental footing, the green man continued.

"She…went down fighting," Garfield said slowly and regretfully as he watched the pain play across Danny's face. "That's all I can say. You'll have to ask Raven if you want to know more…just be careful, Raven's still touchy when it comes to her. Thought you ought to know."

"Thanks," Phantom said, his voice little more than a whisper as he stepped out of the house and blandly watched as Starfire and the older Beast Boy said a tearful goodbye. Terra nodded politely to the green man and stopped as she took in Phantom's form.

The teenager was glowing with a harsh arctic light, dropping the temperature of the air around him by dozens of degrees. There was almost a palpable aura of power around him, summoning up images of her darkest fears and blackest nightmares. As always, a single eye behind a half-orange, half-black mask stared back at her from the abyss.

So _this_ was the person Jinx had referred to as '_The strongest man I've ever known._'

Starfire didn't know what to think as they took off in the direction of the Raven's apartment. They were aimed towards a decrepit section of the Jump City downtown districts that had been higher-end residential housing years ago. Her thoughts were a jumble of worry, sadness, and suspicion.

_Something_ was going on.

Something neither Phantom, Terra, nor Beast Boy wanted her to know of. They were all hiding the truth of what had happened during her and Phantom's absence from history. The oddity was…

Neither of the heroes seemed to regard the ghost-boy as a villain.

Contrary to many people's assumptions, Starfire was in no way the simpleton she appeared with her cute speech, smiles, and alien traditions. She possessed a keen mind that had been battle-tested in two interstellar wars at the head of a column of troops while her elder sister ran off to indulge herself amongst the pleasure palaces of the moons of Tyran. No, she was no one to be played with.

The fact that she so valued friendship after seeing so much violence was a testament to the enduring goodness of her soul, not the ineptitude of her perceptions. The only reason she'd even been allowed to join the Titans was the current peace on Tamaran and the limited disgrace of being taken hostage by the enemy. After serving a term in exile, she would be allowed to return…if she chose.

Starfire blinked, taking her back to the here-and-now.

At any rate, she owed it to her friends to find out what was going on. She owed it to them to prevent the break-up of the Titans…so what did she know?

Phantom was not _evil_, so much as just emotionally (and physically) cold, as well as a thief. The only reason they'd fought him so far was his previous wrongs against Cyborg…

Cyborg was a piece of the puzzle, though, she was sure of it.

Terra had said something…when Phantom stopped her. That meant Phantom _knew_ what she was going to say. Which was…_what?_

Starfire frowned, switching tracks to Beast Boy's conversation with Phantom. When asked about what was said, he'd replied, curtly, 'Guy stuff.' The 'guy stuff' was a mystery to her as much as the finer points of Earth-culture. Raven, though, had once said it consisted of fart jokes and women…

Considering Danny had not been smiling when he emerged-

"-So, if it was not the jokes of smelly intestinal gas…" Starfire muttered, drawing strange looks from both Terra and Phantom as they moved as far away as possible from the alien princess as the slab of rock would permit.

If it was not the fart jokes…it was women…or _a woman_.

The orange girl nodded, proud of the realization. It was most likely the pink-haired girl that was Phantom's fellow villain! The…Jinx! Hm…perhaps it had to do with her future? But then, why would Beast Boy and Terra know of it?

Starfire's eyes widened as she caught sight of something on the ground, taking off to fly towards it, despite the protests from her companions. As she flew, the neighborhood got darker and dingier until she hit a single square of completely untouched parkland.

There was obvious care…almost reverence to the area…as if it was a solemn and holy place. The tiny area was dominated, though, by a life-sized statue carved out of rose quartz that shone in the afternoon sun almost in spite of the snowy weather. The carved figure was wearing a familiar dress and blouse, had her hair up in two familiar 'horns,' and had her hands pressed onto the end of a large hammer, the sledge resting on the ground in front of her.

There was a strangled sound behind her and, upon looking, she found Phantom staring at the statue. He looked…broken in that moment, like a shattered piece of glass. It took her a moment to recover from the shock of seeing someone she'd thought of as a villain drop to his knees in heartache to realize…

He was _crying_.

The sword at his waist dragged in the snow as he moved forward almost lifelessly. Finally, he collapsed to his hands at the foot of the statue as tears streamed down his face and the wind began to gust around them.

It was not a normal winter wind, this breeze was stiffer, stronger, and had an inherent _wrongness_ about it that made some almost forgotten part of Stargire's primal instinct cry out in fear and panic. Faster and faster, the wind began to hurtle, heedless of Terra's yells and entireties, begging…

When the weather began to take on an almost dangerous life of it's own, a black shape swam into existence, wrapping around Phantom and holding him tight. The ebony form had the wings of a bird, a reptilian-like tail, and…

The way it positively soaked up the light spoke of Raven's dark magic.

"Sorry I'm late."

The voice cut through the sudden silence like a blowtorch through butter. It had a low, measured cadence with a wispy air that spoke of casual control and relaxed power. Two heads spun to watch as a figure stepped out of a shadow that couldn't _possibly_ be large enough to hold a human being.

She had violet hair down to her upper back, tied into a braid and hanging over a deep purple jacket that went down to her knees. The jacket was worn over a non-desript black blouse and pair of pants that meshed well with the light make-up she wore to accentuate the unnaturally ashen skin common only to another dimension.

"Raven!"

And the _entire_ image was ruined when Starfire launched herself at the former Titan, almost crushing her in a super-strong hug.

"Ah! St-Starfire, Ni-ow! Nice to see you too, but I need to breathe!" Raven wheezed out as she maintained her focus on the imprisoned ghost-boy. Finally, the alien princess dropped the sorceress, allowing her to regain her footing and approach her captive. Taking a long look at the teen, she nodded.

"Are you in control of yourself now?" Raven asked.

Danny gave a shuddering breath, but nodded slightly.

"Good," Raven stated, letting him drop to the snowy ground. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there sooner. I would have rather you not find out…she spoke very highly of you."

"How?" Danny gasped.

Raven was silent for a time, then reached into a pocket and pulled out a packet of cigarettes. Pausing, she held them out to Phantom, who, despite the strangeness of the situation, just shook his head vacantly.

The gothic sorceress noted the lack of reaction…probably shock. Lighting one of the cancer sticks, she breathed deeply on the ash. "You know…I only started after she died. I…was pretty broken up."

"How?" Danny reiterated, a hint of steal in his voice now.

"Saving my life…saving the world," Raven stated shortly. "I know you don't want to hear it, but…I can't tell you anymore. Fear of time-ending paradoxes and all that. I _can _tell you that if she had help, she might not have died."

Phantom's hands clenched tightly. "Can you send me back?"

"It depends," Raven stated, "Is that a piece of Warp's suit?"

Starfire started in surprise, then handed over the white disk. Raven looked at the non-descript piece of equipment, her psychic black magic seething over it, straining in between the seams of the technology and feeling for purpose and intent in it's design.

"I _might_ be able to…but I'd need a lot of power…and some…less than legal hardware." Raven said slowly, her gaze going hazy as she did some arcane mental calculations. Finally, she nodded.

"Okay. Let's get back to my office before-"

"Aw look, it's the no-fun girl, and she's brought some no-fun friends."

"-anyone _else_ decides to show up," Raven finished lamely.

Raven, Terra, Starfire, and Danny turned to look at the assembled group of teens. They were all wearing face paint, fake flowers, and comically large clothing that would look more at home in a circus. All in all, the looked like clowns or-

"Jokerz," Terra hissed. "Bunch of idiots that think the Joker will rise from the dead or something. They don't even have the decency to known their place on the food chain. They think quantity over quality will win out every time. Granted, they're usually right."

The leader, wearing a bright purple suit, evidently in homage to their dead figurehead, grinned as fifteen more clowns stepped out of the darkened alleyways behind him. "Aw, such mean words, no-fun girl! We're just here to put a smile on the faces of the good people of Jump City…Starting with that statue! It's stood for too long as a solemn mockery of our noble cause!"

Danny stood and took two steps to place himself in front of their comparatively small group, Raven placing a hand on Starfire's shoulder to stop the confused alien princess from taking action. The ghost-boy looked the leader of the street gang in the eye and the clown didn't know enough to be afraid of the twin green orbs. All he saw were the frozen tear tracks down Phantom's face and let out a jeering grin in response.

"Aw, poor baby's gonna urk-"

"I'm going to say this once," Phantom whispered with a voice straight from the grave as he lifted the teen off his legs and pulled him closer to his face. His frostbitten breath hit the gang leader like an arctic gust, "I've had a _bad_ day. You and your friends will leave or I-"

"-Will-"

"-_Make_-"

"-You."

The purple clad teen's eyes widened as each word was spoken by a new duplicate, leaving him staring down four identical ghosts. Finally, Danny caught his attention back to the original with an icy rasping exhalation.

"Do we have an understanding?"

Terra and Raven almost felt like clapping as the group beat feet out of the small park. The ghost-boy's copies reunited under Starfire's tense gaze before he turned and grabbed the Spook Specks that had fallen from his face, slipping them on to cover his tear-stained eyes.

Then someone else obliged him by actually giving a standing ovation.

Raven made a face as the latest addition to their merry band stepped into the alleyway, thankfully not using the by-now-tired gag of using a shadow to mask her entrance. Instead, she approached them from a brightly light street, but had gone unnoticed due to the Jokerz' presence.

"That was just _impressive_."

She was wearing a full-body black jumpsuit with patches of silver-gray metal armor sewn over various joints and vital points. Thick boots cut through the snow-drifts with little difficulty as brown eyes looked out from under a ragged mop of brown hair that swayed in the wind. Danny would have liked to say she was smiling charmingly, but the lower-half of her face was covered by a layer of black material that spanned from one cheek to the other and down to the body suit at her collar bone.

Then there was the torpedo-shaped piece of flat metal that she was leaning against that served seemingly no purpose. It almost looked like a surf-board, save that it was smaller by perhaps a foot and a half, had no steering fin, and Phantom couldn't fathom what a surfer would be doing in the middle of a snow-bound city.

"Sylph," Raven greeted neutrally.

"Raven," The figure replied, a twitch of her match and the lilt of her voice indicating a smile…or a smirk. "You actually found a guy with backbone. Look's a little young for you, though."

Raven declined to comment, instead snuffing out her cigarette and pulling another one out to light. "We need to go. My office if you're coming."

Phantom and Starfire were torn, looking between their newest guest and Raven for a moment, before nodding at the black-clad figure and following the former gothic Titan away from the square. After they left, the brunette relaxed slightly and walked over to the statue, a single rose appearing from behind her back as she knelt and swept off the base of the monument.

**Jennifer 'Jinx' Masters**

**A True Titan**

**A Dear Friend**

Sylph laid the rose down next to the pedestal as she looked the way Raven, Terra, and their guests had gone. She sighed as she replayed the few seconds she'd seen the ghost-boy's face and the way he'd manhandled the Jokerz. Finally, she cursed Raven's telepathic message to leave them be…

Was it any _wonder_ she never came home for dinner?

Still…a small third-grader smiled from behind a mask and over a dozen years of veteran heroics. "Even if you just adopted me, you were a great mom…and I bet he'd have been a kick-ass dad."

Sylph sighed again and grabbed her board.

_After all, I still have a patrol to finish…_as a last minute thought, she pulled down her mask and spat a wad of mucous onto the tortured and crushed face of the four-eyed dark god that rested underneath the sledge of the statue's hammer. Replacing her mask, Sylph grinned.

"Burn in Hell Gramps."

Raven's office was a musty and dark place, filled with little knickknacks from a hundred different people and places. She'd inherited some of the Boy Wonder's and the Dark Knight's near fanaticism for keeping trophies of past victories and it showed in the…piles of _junk_ strewn in an almost orderly mess throughout the somewhat spacious rented office.

"Friend Raven…could you please explain what a…Private Investigator is once more?" Starfire asked warily, cautious of rekindling her friend's legendary temper.

"Okay Starfire," Raven said in slight exasperation. "Think of it like being a hero…without all the heroics. I still help people, but I get paid for it."

"Oh," the alien said, somewhat enthused, but primarily disappointed at the callousness and weathered tiredness in Raven's explanation. It only served to underline how long she'd been gone and how…_wrong_ everything seemed. "I did not know heroes received payment for good deeds."

No one was particularly inclined to comment on that remark.

"I'm going to wait outside," Phantom said suddenly. "I need some air…to think."

As he left, Starfire brightened slightly. At last a chance to speak with a friend alone! Well, she eyed Terra cautiously…for all the good the blonde had done her, she was still unsure of the heroine's exact identity and knew very little of her. But, Raven trusted her.

"Friend Raven?"

"Mm?" The gothic sorceress asked around her cigarette as she focused on Warp's device.

"I am…very confused. I do not know so much! And this future is…so wrong…our friends are no longer friends, the Tower is in ruin! (Terra stifled an offended shout) And you are breathing in the poison sticks!"

Raven sighed out a cloud of ash at the orange girl's distraught tone. "Starfire…you've been gone fifteen years. A lot happened, especially in regards to your friend Phantom-"

"-but he is not my friend!" Starfire interjected, almost to the point of tears. "He is a villain! He has fought us many times! I do not understand why friend Beast Boy, Terra, and now you, friend Raven, treat him as if he is a Glorthnak come home to roost after many years!"

Raven sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Stafire…Phantom's not a bad person. There's a lot you don't know about him, so you'll have to take me on faith. He did everything he did because he _had_ to."

"Regardless how horrible you might think this future is, we've adapted, grown up. Life isn't all about running around in tights yelling funny battle cries…" Raven spared Terra a wry glance, to which the blonde turned and pouted. "We're adults now. We have to earn a living. Garfield's done well for himself, I run my own business, Nightwing's off pulling all-nighters in Bludhaven…"

Raven considered that for a moment. "Well, that makes two of us that haven't grown out of the spandex, I guess." Noticing the look of confusion on her friend's face, she backtracked. "Nightwing is what Robin calls himself nowadays. Black bodysuit, blue crest on the crest, and more of a drama-queen than Batman…if you can believe it. If you were staying longer, I'd give him a call, but I want to get you back in the past as soon as possible."

"Yes!" Starfire cheered, suddenly filled with purpose. "I will return and prevent the Reckmahs! Warp's damage to our time will be corrected!"

Raven shook her head. "No Starfire. I want you back in the past to try and prevent a universe-ending paradox. Temporal Mechanics is still a bit of a fuzzy field of physics and no-one knows what might happen if you _don't_ go back or get killed here in the future or go back with knowledge that can change the past. I'm hoping that, besides your little detour, time as we know it won't be too bothered by your short-term presence."

"Oh," Starfire stated, deflating. "Must you not tell me _anything_, then? There are a great many questions I would like to ask about the Jinxed one and Phantom."

"I'm pretty sure I know exactly what those questions are," Raven rebuffed. "And, no, I won't answer them. Partially because I think telling you too much will destroy all existence and partially because I have a deep respect for Phantom. What he's been through…going through right now? No one should have to."

The alien princess sighed at the response, floating to look out the window at the white-haired figure standing on the balcony as she fell deeper into her inner musings and theories.

The gothic sorceress sighed, empathically sensing Star's anxiety and concern. "And…if you really want to make sure we bug the Hell out of each other for a few more years…that wouldn't be a _horrible_ thing…I guess." Blinking a few times, Raven's head perked up from where she was bent over Warp's device. "If you _do_, though, could you promise to tell my younger self something…when you get back, I mean?"

Starfire smiled widely, hovering with happiness (literally), "Of course, dear friend! What is the message you would have me carry?"

In the ensuing minutes, Terra's jaw proceeded to drop in awe and no small amount of humor.

* * *

So, maybe a little of the HIVE's training _had_ rubbed off.

Or maybe Danny just needed something to occupy his mind. As the earlier rush of adrenaline from dealing with the Jokerz and the shock of Jinx's death had worn off, his mind had started considering exactly _when_ he was…at least subconsciously. It had only really clicked when their group had passed a small electronics store and he'd seen the display windows stocked with all sorts of devices and gizmos.

Right now, he was silently thanking his (very) strange parents, as his original body stood outside Raven's office and waited for the four duplicates he'd sent out to come back with loaded arms. The pockets of his coat, both inner and outer, were already stuffed with futuristic pieces of technology.

He would have felt a little bad about stealing so much, but for two things.

First, he'd iced his emotions to the point where he wouldn't destroy the city from inner turmoil, which pretty much deadened him to minor indiscretions. The logical part of his brain, and Jinx's long-term influence, were practically _demanding_ that he take advantage of this situation.

The second thing?

Well…some of these things were _neat_.

He'd been standing there for nearly an hour, enjoying the view and the falling snow as he played with something that was either a miniaturized GPS or some type of next-generation gameboy when the wall behind him exploded in a shower of bricks, metal, and wood.

He went intangible purely on reflex, but it wasn't enough to save him from a shot by Warp's forearm-mounted hourglass cannon. The shot knocked him back to tangibility and threw him into a wall across the street.

"You know, I am _exceptionally _tired of your interference, Phantom," Warp growled. "Were it possible, I would rewrite this history with your death!"

"You wouldn't be the first to try," Danny growled, the sound like two glaciers grinding on each other as he pulled himself free from the wall and hovered, mindful of his injured arm and the off-balance the sword created. "But you'd be the latest in a long line…to get their asses kicked!"

Warp sneered, his aged face showing wrinkles as it did so. "Ah, heroic bravado…how _noble_. I almost regret-AH!"

An ectoplasmic energy bolt interrupted the time-traveler as Danny looked for Raven, Terra, or Starfire. All three were partially buried in light piles of rubble, but looked to be largely okay besides a few scratches and cuts. Returning his attention to the thrown-off Warp, Danny shot towards him…

Only to fit a hastily erected force-field the villain had thrown up.

"I have to admit you're much easier to combat than your elder counterpart," Warp commented as he fired off a quick volley of his own energy blasts.

"What I lack in experience," Danny growled as he vanished, "I make up for with a predisposition to violence."

Warp blinked and reached for a visor to try and pinpoint Phantom's location. "You always were troublesome in the extreme!"

The blast of energy that struck his back only seemed to confirm his assertion.

"How the _hell_ do you know me anyway?"

Warp snarled and slipped the gold visor on, pinpointing Phantom's position easily as he fired off a short barrage of blasts. _Shooom-Shooom-Shooom!_ "How do you think, _hero_? You've fought my destined ascension to the greatest thief in the world more times than I care to count!"

"And _you_ have ruined the friendship I shared with my teammates! I demand you repair the damage you have done to my time!" Starfire yelled as she pulled free from the rubble and took to the air, her eyes and hands glowing in anger.

"Foolish girl," Warp snarled, firing at the enraged alien princess. "What is cannot be changed. Fate cannot be fought! The force of time dictates all things, scribes them in stone, and makes the immutable!"

"I do not believe you!" Stafire shouted, banking in the air as she dodged his blasts. Phantom, who had recovered from Warp's previous hit, raised his right hand and loosed a blast of ice, freezing the time traveler's legs to the snow-covered ground.

Warp snorted and stepped free from the ice as his suit melted it, channeling the heat of a summer day six months away. "Then you are a greater idiot than even _I _considered. You, child, think you can change what is meant to be!"

Holding up the Eternity Clock, Warp smiled nastily as he affixed the vortex regulator back to his chest with his other hand…the connection sending up a protective barrier of temporal energies. Starfire's and Phantom's blasts did nothing to penetrate the barrier as the villain grandstanded.

"History says this artifact disappeared. It disappeared because I came back to steal it. I came back because history says I did…do you think you can challenge fate?"

As the glowing portal formed up behind him, Phantom shot forward with every ounce of speed he possessed, slamming into the barrier. Blue energy skittered across it like miniature flares as the ghost-boy tried to grip the seamless field…

"Not even _you_ Phantom, could penetrate this field…I hardly think you hold any threat to me-_impossible!_" Warp cried, denying what his eyes were telling him as Phantom, in his desperation, pulled his injured arm free of the sling and clawed at the force field.

The words were lost on Danny as his mind replayed what little he'd seen of this future. As prosperous as it appeared, it didn't have the girl he loved, and this…this-_bastard_-was standing in the way of him getting back…

Back to the past…

The blue energy caught on the field, tearing at the construct.

…Back to when he could save her…

His hand was through, his body following.

In that moment, he didn't see Warp's face. He saw the face of a laughing maniac, a distorted and twisted version of his own. Telling him…telling him that people he _loved_ were going to die and there was _nothing he could do_.

Fuck that.

Warp screamed in pain as Phantom's left and closed on his chest, overloading every conceivable facet of his time-bending technology. The explosions were small, leaving him bruised and battered, but sill alive and staring up into Phantom's shielded gaze and emotionless face, gasping for breath.

"How_?_" He wheezed out.

"Compared the inevitability of the things I've faced," Danny stated, "You're nothing. You're an arrogant idiot who thinks he can win just because the future _says_ he will. I've changed the past, future, and the present…and even myself. Compared to that? You're even less than nothing."

Turning to Starfire's awed gaze, he gave her a hint of a smile. "We always have choices, Starfire. If you really want to be by your friends' sides, _choose_ to fight for them and it will be only _your_ fault should you fail. There is no fate, no destiny, except what we make ourselves."

"Nicely said," Raven groaned as she swept herself off and bent down to wake Terra from the unscheduled nap. "Still, I wish you wouldn't have destroyed the only way we have to send you back to your time."

Danny sighed. "Actually, that's not the _only_ way. I'm pretty sure our ride's already on the way…as long as he thinks I've learned whatever arbitrary lesson that I should have."

There was a long silence as Terra slowly raised a finger and spun it around her head, whispering to Raven, "The stress's gotten to him."

Danny sighed as the seconds ticked by and his left arm slowly returned to it's limp state. _That_ hadn't lasted…granted, he had no idea what had caused the arm to respond to his desperate commands, but it seemed as if his arbitrary burst of strength was gone now.

"The stress _has_ gotten to me," Danny agreed suddenly, his mind, emotions, and soul stressed to the breaking point . "I've repressed my emotions to the point of mental breakdown, I've faced yet _another_ future where someone I've loved has died, and I have no idea whether my family and friends are even alive, let alone if I want to go to the trouble of finding out, leaving me mentally scarred _again_, further depressing me, and possibly driving into the yawning abyss of _insanity!_"

The torrent of words had come out in rush, making his listeners flinch at every instance of emphasis in the increasingly tense volley of language. Finally, Danny was left breathing artic fog in a haggard rush as he regained his composure…

"And the Fucking Master of _Time_ is _LATE!_"

As if on cue (and considering who it is, it probably _was_ on cue), two clock hands appeared in mid-air, glowing a spectral blue as they spun, leaving a circle of empty space hanging before them. Out of it emerged a blue figure wearing a cloak with a chest of gears and springs, with a staff topped with a ticking clock.

"You should know me better than that Daniel," Clockwork stated, smiling enigmatically. "I am _never_ late, always right on time."

Danny took a deep, calming breath and looked to the alien princess, jerking his head towards the portal. "Okay, ride's here, let's go Starfire."

"Um," Starfire hedged, starting badly in fright as the young…man?…Danny had addressed, morphed into an old man…then a child, in short succession. "Er…"

Danny sighed and held out a hand towards the cloaked figure, "Clockwork, Starfire. Starfire, Clockwork. Clockwork is the Master of Time. He lives in the ghost zone and takes a perverse pleasure in letting me learn things the hard way, rather than explaining them like a normal person would."

"A lesson learned the 'hard way,' as you put it, Danny," Clockwork stated, "is a lesson you will most likely remember longer than the material of your freshman English class."

Danny flushed in embarrassment.

"Be that as it may," Clockwork allowed, "Have you learned the lesson you believe I have orchestrated this situation to teach you?"

"…" Danny's thought processed paused, his mind whirring. After a few moments, he nodded. "I shouldn't tear myself up over things I don't have the ability to prevent?"

"No," Clockwork stated patiently.

"I should take Stafire's advice and reassert close friendships?" Danny asked, trying again to guess Clockwork's point.

"No," Clockwork reiterated, his voice calm and placid like the sands of a timeless desert.

"Then I'm drawing a blank."

Clockwork nodded, an old man now. His face was grave, as if about to impart a pearl of wisdom so great that the brilliance of it might break his mind. Then, the ageless specter opened his mouth and said, with immense seriousness and gravitas…

"Shit happens."

The group stared, somehow feeling cheated by the let-down.

"You see, this man here," Clockwork stated as he looked down onto the barely conscious Warp, "Stumbled upon, by accident or design, a way to shield himself from the flow of time, distorting my perceptions and making me unable to follow him. I believe I told you before Danny…I am not a God. I am not a puppet-master. I do not scheme, nor am I omniscient."

Clockwork favored Danny with a level stare, paying specific attention to his left arm and the blade fastened ungainly to his waist. "That said, I have duties to attend to. Duties which involve a hole being torn in the fabric of space and time."

Danny opened his mouth to interject, but the child-Clockwork held up a hand to stop him. "I understand the circumstances around it now and I do not blame you Danny. For stopping this time-traveler, I owe you a debt, just as I did for Vortex. I will take you back to your time, but that is as far as the repayment will bring you. Now, I need _you_ to understand something, Danny…"

Clockwork reached out the wrinkled hand of an old man and drew the blue-green lines of energy away from Phantom, who slowly regained feeling and control of the arm. The Master of Time did the same for the blade. When he was finished, the energy flowed back into his staff to replenish the well of time. "That material," Clockwork stated, "was from the very edge of my control. It is the energy that makes up time itself. It would have killed you had it interacted with you much longer."

Danny took a deep breath, shaking off the fear from that announcement. Nodding gratefully, he said, "Thanks. I'll…try not to let it happen again."

Clockworks smiled wryly before his gaze softened. Danny slowly recognized the look he now wore…fear. Not necessarily fear for himself, but for Phantom. Only the fact that a block of ice was all that remained of the ghost-boy's emotions kept him from quivering in blind terror. Clockwork sighed, his adult form slumping slightly as the eons of his tenure weighed on him. "There will be _dire repercussions_ to this accident, Danny; they will be repercussions that I cannot halt or derail…"

A blue child's hand waved at the still-shining steel at Phantom's waist. "That blade, for instance, was supposed to fade into obscurity. In your hands I have no doubt it will once again rise to prominence…for good or bad."

"And it would be hoping for too much for you to simply _tell_ me what's going to happen?" Danny asked warily.

"It is beyond knowing," the aged ghost replied simply and turned to the portal. "Bring your friend. Your 'ride' is due to leave now."

Phantom sighed, knowing a conversation-ending sentence when he heard one. He turned to Starfire, who cautiously floated towards the black circular vortex. The alien princess turned and waved at Terra and Raven who were still staring vacantly at the scene.

"Goodbye friend Raven and…not-yet-friend-Terra! I will be sure to greet you warmly when I meet you!" Starfire said, walking into the portal.

Danny rolled his eyes and gave a small wave of his own before discretely grabbing both Warp and the Eternity Clock. As he walked through the door, the now-familiar background of gears and springs met his gaze, giving the illusion(?) of the inside of a giant clock. Danny found Starfire staring in awe at both the surroundings and the view outside, which gave vantage to the eternal expanse of ghostly green ectoplasm, doors of all kinds and sizes, and floating fiefs of the greater ghosts.

"Welcome to the ghost zone," Danny said without much fanfare.

"We are in…the spirit world?" Starfire asked warily. "You are really a…ghost, then?"

"Sure, spirit world…that works," Danny nodded. "And…if I wasn't a ghost, what would I be?"

Starfire paled dramatically at the announcement and remained very quiet as Clockwork conjured another portal. The child-ghost smiled genially and held a hand out even as he shifted ages before their eyes. "The same time as you left. Daniel, I _would_ ask that you not travel through time so recklessly again."

"I'll keep that in mind," Danny repeated wryly, the stress slowly seeping out of his body as he and Starfire and the now-unconscious Warp stepped through the black gateway. Almost immediately, Phantom cursed viciously as he came face-to-face with the remainder of the Titans…

* * *

Two Days Later:

* * *

"Agent Alpha, we have something you should see."

The head of the Guys in White turned to regard his lieutenant holding a small view-screen. The display was a short video of one of the greatest menaces their organization currently knew. They'd had visual confirmation of him defeating the Fright Knight, significant evidence that he did the same to Pariah Dark, and video records of his fights with a dozen other powerful ghosts.

"Phantom," Alpha growled as the ghost faded into view. The clip was short and to-the-point. The only thing unexpected was the two black wormholes that opened up at the end. Phantom went in one with the orange girl and the gold-clad man and came out the other. In fact…through the portal he could almost see…

"Is this correct?"

The senior agent nodded. "Yes sir, double confirmation. We have security footage from two different angles. That's him…and he's associating with Phantom."

The view-screen cracked in Alpha's hands as he ground his teeth. Finally, his breath came out in a hiss, "So…he's not just a legend. Clockwork really exists…and he's in league with Phantom."

The reiteration was clearly evidence to the field agent that the head of the organization was thinking closely over this new development. The man took several deep breaths before his body snapped straight in decisive action. He stiffly handed over the viewing device to the other man and looked him dead in the eyes.

"With the confirmation of Clockwork's existence, we can no longer make light of Danny Phantom. As of right now, he is ecto-enemy number one! Mobilize all reserve agents, call in vacations, and get the Laundromat on call…I want a complete vanguard in that city yesterday!"

"Sir!" The agent cried, hurrying to issue the order. Soon, a full contingent of two hundred agents would be descending on Jump City, California.

* * *

Meanwhile, Blood nodded, his smile threatening violence.

It had taken so long, but finally…it was done. Oh, Phantom thought he could fool him with the pink-haired incompetents stories of failed assassinations and his oblivious nature. It was obvious that the…ghost was something that was either not able to _be_ killed or…and far more likely, it was simply not worth the time and effort to figure out _how_ it could be done.

Blood's smile widened as he looked over the completed sonic amplifier.

Yes…it would do nicely for his purposes. Very nicely indeed…

* * *

It started out a good four-thousand words. Now, two rewrites later? It's twice that. Yes, that's right. This is officially the longest chapter yet. 8,000 words.

Damn.

Now, I know some of you are a little...disappointed with the end of the time-travel arc. Well, there will be some significant wrap-up next chapter, I just wanted to get this out now and it was already long enough. Now...why wasn't Nightwing/Cyborg/Danny's family/etc...in the future chapter? Honestly? Well, this chapter was massive enough without them and I just couldn't work out how they would plausibly be in Jump City _at the precise time Danny and Starfire popped up_.

They don't live in Jump anymore. We saw BB, Raven, Terra, and Sylph because they _do_ live there. Nightwing lives in Bludhaven. Cyborg disappeared. Where? No one knows. Sorry, but I felt it was better to leave his alternate future a mystery. If someone wants to do a spin-off fic on this universe...email me and we'll BS about it. A lot of it came down to how far I was willing to go to encompass all of the future characters...then I decided it just _wasn't any fun_ if I went and approached every **single one** of the characters just to show you how horrible/great their lives were.

I decided to go with a pretty realistic approach to the whole...loss of a friend thing. Sure, it hurts, but people recover. Unlike the 'How Long is Forever?' Titans episode, I'm not going to just _ruin_ everyone's lives and trap them in a cesspool of a city just because their friendships broke up...

I don't know...that just seemed really contrived to me. Why didn't you see any of the DP characters/ghosts? Well...the short answer is that Vlad and Jinx destroyed the HIVE, Jinx gave her dad a rather large earful about abandonment and...the rest is history. Did the HIVE manage to assassinate Danny's family/friends before they got smashed? Well, let's just say that Danny's right...he doesn't want to know. So...feel free to bitch at me about how badly done the ending was or whatever, but...

The story has to move on. This can't be just Danny in the future...I've seen stories like that and they're more depressing than just about anything else. At the end, Danny was desperately hoping, nigh _begging_ Clockwork to appear because every other hope they had was crushed. He was literally going to go bat-shit right there and then if Clockwork didn't pop up. Ice Age anyone?

As Always, Read, Review, and Enjoy-

-Slayer Out!


	15. The Breaking Point

Slayer Anderson

HIVE-Minded XIV

A DP/TT Crossover Fanfiction

11/21/09

* * *

Chapter 14-White, Black, and Red All Over

Or

The Breaking Point

* * *

Ghostly artifacts, like many ancient items of power, tend to have a mind of their own. Some are vicious, some mischievous, and some just like to be used. The last of these artifacts will go to great lengths to find an individual of the right temperament, skills, and powers to use them correctly.

These items are not…intelligent, or even sentient really.

They hunt out people to use them by an instinctual manipulation of people, animals, and sometimes even the space around them. Chance tends to favor these objects for reasons no one knows. For instance, take the famous Amulet of Aragon.

Contrary to popular belief, the amulet itself is neither good nor bad. It consists of an enchanted gemstone encased in metal from the deepest reaches of the ghost zone. It was created, originally, as an aid to warriors in their greatest time of need, but eventually relegated to the neck of a prince and princess who used them only sparingly.

Such is agony for items like the Amulet of Aragon…

And they will do anything to change it.

…even tolerate the stench of unwashed socks.

It was a shame that the green changeling of Titan's Tower wasn't in his room as a small portal of ectoplasmic energy popped open for a few seconds. Normally, not enough for anything large enough or fast enough to get through, but as a glimmering piece of jewelry dropped onto a pile of clothes the slit iris-like glinted in an almost…patient manner.

It was willing to wait as long as it took now.

* * *

"And that is when the blue shape-shifting ghost opened the door back to the museum and Phantom and I came through…" Starfire stated, finishing her story of the time-travel adventure. Her friends stared at her with open jaws and wide eyes, torn between amazement and horror at their future.

"Ya know…" Beast Boy stated, somewhat sadly, "I feel kind of bad for attacking him now."

"He's still a thief," Robin said quietly, inwardly torn. "We were doing the right thing in trying to apprehend him. You're _sure_ Raven told you that Phantom wasn't what he appeared?"

Starfire nodded exuberantly. "Absolutely, friend Robin! Phantom was even most…heroic when doing battle with the Warp-villain. He is very cold, much like friend Raven, but his is also very loyal. He was most upset when he learned of the villain Jinx's fate."

And _that_ was another thing Robin found it hard to think about. Jinx, as they knew her, was a criminal and one of the more resilient foes they'd faced. She was also, evidently, Phantom's girlfriend, if not lover. But…a hero? The idea was laughable and if he hadn't had Starfire's word on it, he never would have believed it.

Raven looked at her orange-skinned friend as Robin mulled over the information. There was something bugging her about Starfire's story, "What _did_ I ask you to tell me?" She had avoided the question during the story, but now…

Starfire paled dramatically. "Uh…Friend Raven! Are you sure we cannot partake in the eating of iced cream," the alien princess asked nervously, edging towards the nearest door.

Raven's eyes narrowed and a wall of black energy erupted from the floor to block Starfire's rush for a quick exit. As she tried to scamper around the dark magic, Raven leveled a glare that left her smiling sheepishly.

"I'd _really_ like to know what I said, Starfire," Raven stated. After all, it could be a way to defeat her father, but that didn't exactly explain why Starfire didn't want to discuss it…

Starfire sighed in resignation as she readied herself. "Very well friend Raven, but you must promise not to be mad at me."

Raven nodded.

"FIND SOMEONE TO PLUG YOUR HOLES AND YOU MIGHT ACTUALLY ACT HUMAN, YOU DEMONIC BITCH!" Starfire shouted, slapping Raven across the face and jumping back from the stunned teen.

For a long moment, all of the Titans stalled into shock, looking on the unfolding scene is horror and amazement. Had Starfire _actually_ told Raven to…

"Starfire," Raven said in her normal, bland tone, catching the girl's attention. "Just to be sure, I told you to do _exactly_ that? I told you to slap me and…?"

Starfire's head bobbed up and down anxiously.

Raven nodded absently, dropping herself into the nearest seat with a blank gaze, her mind trying to process what had just happened. Her older self had told her to…to… But, that didn't make any _sense_! If…15 years, though…her sixteenth birthday was only…the half-demon's eyes widened as it clicked.

Could she _actually_ have a future other than being the prophesized death of the world? It was a thought so strange and bizarre to her mind that it had refused to stick until this moment. Ever since she could remember, she'd been absolutely convinced that she would die on her sixteenth birthday.

A tiny spark of hope ignited in Raven's heart as her lips tugged upwards.

"Thanks, Star."

Shaking the weirdness off, Robin looked to his second-in-command with a frown. "That aside, we need to talk Cyborg."

The rest of the Titans took the unspoken hint, moving from the room as they sought out the solace of their own rooms. Cyborg gave the Boy Wonder and obstinate stare as he sat down opposite the dark-skinned titan.

"Before we start," Robin began, "do you have anything to say regarding your behavior during our confrontation with Warp and Phantom?"

Cyborg averted his eyes to the floor, "You know why I went after him."

"I do," Robin stated. "But what I don't know is why you felt the need to abandon your team. Phantom was a known quantity in that confrontation. If you hadn't attacked him, he would have left without incident."

Cyborg's eye glowed a more violent red as he threatened to erupt in anger.

Robin held a single hand up, halting the outburst. "I'm not saying we should have let him go, but we should choose our battles Cyborg. Warp had already assaulted two guards, nearly killing them. Phantom lacks any such violent tendencies…"

"VIOLENT TENDENCIES!" Cyborg cried, not willing to be silenced this time. "Robin! He nearly killed my parents! You want proof! Look at me," The robotic Titan screamed at his leader, pointing to his metal-encased chest.

Robin's silence, born of Batman's nearly endless training, allowed his friend and lieutenant to cool his temper before continuing. "Be that as it may Cyborg, Phantom has done _nothing_ to actually invite our attacks on him. True, his is a criminal and we are bound to bring him to justice, but this isn't a crusade to satisfy your vengeance. If you can't make your peace with that, I need to reconsider your position as my second-in-command."

Cyborg was silent at that, his face displaying his inner conflict.

"We're the good guys Cyborg," Robin continued. "We aren't judge, jury, and executioner. Besides, with what Starfire has told us of her adventure…I want to understand Phantom. There are nothing _but_ questions around him and very few answers or facts to go with them."

"Robin, I want to say that I'll be able to hold myself back next time, but…I just don't know if I can see Phantom as anything but a murderer. I really think…I really think you might need to choose someone else to take my place. Because, if I'm wrong…I don't think I could live with myself if I did something I would regret."

Robin nodded. "I'm sorry to hear that Cyborg, but I'm also glad that you're man enough to admit it. If you could ask Raven?"

Cyborg sighed, but conceded.

Suddenly, the doors slammed open, Robin and Cyborg jumping up from their seats to combat the threat that was sure to come through. Instead, a green changeling burst into the room holding an glittering necklace in his hand.

"Dudes…look! I've got a serious fan!" Beast Boy cried, waving the object around. Cyborg and Robin sighed, looking at the changeling in exasperation as he looped the amulet over his neck and presented it proudly.

"That's…nice, Beast Boy," Robin stated, looking briefly at the vertical slit that pierced the eye-like gem. "Who sent it?"

The green elf shrugged, smiling. "No name, guess it's an anonymous admirer. But, hey, feel free to call me Bling Boy now!"

Cyborg snorted, "I think I'll stick with grass-stain."

Beast Boy wilted, but huffed as he walked away. "I think I'll go show Star! She'll appreciate my new look!"

There was a moment of silence as Cyborg and Robin considered what had just happened. Finally, the robotic Titan turned to the Boy Wonder and said, very sincerely, "I hope Raven says yes."

A nightmarish vision of Beast Boy as his second-in-command made Robin pale. Nodding, he stated, "I do too Cy. I do too."

After all, he might be a General in some strange alternate future, but that wasn't today. Today he was Beast Boy and Robin really didn't want to have to deal with that on top of everything else.

* * *

"Two broken bones, three bruised ribs, a borderline concussion, seven burns from three different types of energy weapons, and you managed to dislocated all of the bones in your left hand…I'm still trying to work out _that_ one." Jinx summarized as she looked over the hospital bed to her almost-mummified boyfriend. Even though she had been sincerely worried when Danny stumbled into the HIVE, bleeding and barely conscious, now that his health and recovery was assured…

Well, his condition was actually pretty funny.

"I don't want to talk about it," Danny reiterated, thankful that he hadn't sustained enough injury to his face that they needed to wire his jaw shut. Cyborg's uppercut had _hurt_.

"All you want to talk about is that goofy hallucination that you had about the future," Jinx teased. "And you really want me to believe that insane story?"

"No," Danny stated as he reached over to his trench-coat lying on the bedside table. "Regardless of the fact that I expect you not to tell anyone about the story-"

"-Because they'd lock you up for psych evaluation," Jinx interrupted.

"-I brought something _back_," Danny grinned and pulled free one of the pieces of tech from his pockets.

Jinx blinked as she took the sleek, slim device. "You're serious?" The question garnered only a nod from her boyfriend. Shrugging, she looked at it more closely…

After a moment, she frowned. "That's…"

"Impossible," Danny nodded, "I know."

Jinx's eyes widened, "Gizmo would kill you for this…if the specs are right," Jinx allowed. "A 1.5 terrabyte handheld computer with a 100 giga-hertz processor and 50 gigs of ram…funny, I don't recognize this company…"

"That's because the company wasn't founded until five years from now. I looked it up on the internet and cached the page…along with stock market trends for the next decade and a half." Danny answered.

"Danny," Jinx admitted warily, "You're starting to scare me." Because…if he was really telling the truth…she'd died. Worse, she'd died a hero.

"You scared the fuck out of me," Danny admitted, his skin icing over at even the memory of the statue. Slowly, so as not to aggravate his wounds, he bent forward and kissed her softly. "Can you please not get yourself killed, Jinx? I…love you and I don't want you to die. I'd really like to spend more of my life with you."

Jinx's eyes watered at the admission. "So…it takes seeing me six feet under to get you to be romantic, eh? Danny…what if I said I wanted the same thing?"

Danny's eyes widened at the admission. Jinx was very prone to…cuddly behavior, but never volunteered something like this. She looked around the infirmary, but there was no one there. She gently slid in next to Danny and hugged him. "If you wanted to…when we leave HIVE…be partners?"

Phantom sighed at the feel of her body against his. For villains, especially ones just starting out like Jinx, partnering up was important. It meant trust, the kind that took years to build…the fact that Jinx felt it for him… "I'd like that."

Jinx smiled.

Then, the clapping started.

Jinx stiffened as Brother Blood came into view, the hospital ward closing behind him. He smiled like a fox, showing too many teeth as he gave a slow applause to the couple on the bed. Danny's eyes shown a furious green as the witch by his side shivered under the sudden influx of cold from her boyfriend.

"So…touching. So…nice," Blood sneered the word. "Let me be the first to wish the couple happiness…and the first to crush those childish dreams."

Gizmo's small form, his eyes glowing under the control of Blood, dropped from the air duct behind Phantom's bed, his robotic spider claws reaching out and tearing Jinx from the bed. Metallic bands wrapped around her hands, restricting the dexterity she would need to work her magic.

"Don't lay a hand on her you bastard!" Danny roared, his voice hard and his breath cold. "You dare touch her and I'll-"

"You'll what?" Blood mocked. "You're in no condition to do anything right now, Phantom. You think you've had me fooled all these weeks? You think I'm some kind of idiot?"

Phantom stilled, his anger tightly leashed, but churning beneath the surface.

"You've outwitted me at every turn! Dodging my attempt to discretely remove you, foiling my plan to have your lover assassinate you, and surviving each of your encounters with the Titans…"

"But no more!" Blood snarled, turn to one of the purple-robed figures that had been gathering at his back and practically tearing a device from it's hands. Danny's eyes widened as he recognized part of it as the…whatever it was that he'd stolen from STAR labs. "Ah…I see you do recognize the sonic amplifier. You see, I had intended to use it to amplify sound waves to hold entire cities hostage…but sadly, I underestimated the complexity of the technology necessary…perhaps if I had a better base-weapon on which to mount it…"

Danny scowled as the man seemed lost in thought for a moment, then snapped out of it. Blood smiled foully, "But no matter. I devised another use for the amplifier…one which will feed the signals of my psychic energy, amplified into a low-level sonic pulse of course, directly into your subconscious. I might not be able to control you directly, but…"

"It will double as a tracking beacon," Blood continued as he paced back and forth between Danny's hospital bed and Jinx's tense and restrained form. "As well as a heart, respiration, and bio-electricity monitor. I will know if you are captured, should you try to run, or if you are merely dead. The consequences of any of these, should you not return to my side when I call within three days…at maximum-"

Blood drew a dagger from his pocket and Danny felt his heart seize as he held it Jinx's throat. "-or you will forfeit the life of your lover. Keep in mind that I despise being kept waiting and may get _impatient_," the powerful psychic snarled as he drew a single drop of crimson from Jinx's ashen skin.

Danny remained absolutely still as he asked, "You'd kill her, even if I was dead?"

Blood grinned nastily. "Of course, Phantom. After all, you are the only thing keeping her alive. She has failed me so _many_ times, in killing you, in leading her team against the Titans…I just don't see the point in keeping her around anymore."

Brother Blood smirked as the truth of his willingness to kill the witch sank in. "Now Phantom…do you take the collar like a good dog or-shall I make good on my threat?"

Danny breathed slowly, gusts of arctic breath rushing from his lungs as he slowly, achingly, bared his throat in a primal gesture of submission. Jinx was crying slowly as she watched the man clasp the device around her boyfriend's neck. Danny gasped as an enormous influx of…something began to fester in the back of his mind. It was something dark and evil, drawing his thoughts to the darkest side of his humanity…

His mouth opened in a silent scream as tendrils of red energy coursed through his thoughts, focusing his mind into something supernaturally sharp and unbelievably potent. His breathing quickened as whispers of things…dark and foul things…

Blood smirked as he gestured and a limp form was dragged forth. "Now, to test your obedience…kill her."

Danny looked at the person who had been brought into the room. Her normally severe expression was a mask of pain and desperation. It momentarily brightened as Phantom came into view, then faded as she took in his bruised and battered condition.

It was the Headmistress.

An enormous cry went up from within him, his good warring against Blood's evil. The blinding anger that this choice, this _greatest_ of moments, his final revenge on this cruel bitch…would be taken from him. As focused as he was on Blood and the vile red thoughts, he neglected his own darkness…

A darkness that cried out for the woman's head on a pike. This was a darkness that had killed, and could if given half a chance, kill again. Danny had seen if before…a world filled by ash and powdered human corpses.

A dark, elemental, terrifying crimson began to cloud Phantom's normally emerald eyes and his hand, glowing with ice-blue cold reached out and froze the Headmistress' heart to zero Kelvin, killing her instantly as his hand phased through her ribcage.

Jinx gasped as Blood had Gizmo drop her unceremoniously on the floor as he walked away. "Enjoy the bed rest, Phantom…and your whore. I'll have work for you to do come the end of this week," Blood called as he walked out the door. "Now that your…status is assured, I'll have our best healers attend to you."

"After all," He sneered, "We can't have you best agent in anything less than tip-top condition."

Jinx stayed on the floor as the corpse was pulled from the room. Slowly, gasps began to wrack her body as a corona of glacial cold encased Phantom's form as he viciously repressed the blind terror that was threatening to creep up from within.

All the while, his blood-red eyes tracked the dead body as it was dragged away.

* * *

Vlad Masters was practically giddy with anticipation.

He was in his element, now. He had the intelligence on this organization, he had the element of surprise, and he had the power of a virtual army at his command. He smirked at the assembled ghosts around his table and the one human. He couldn't forget Jasmine, of course…

"Gentlemen, and Ladies…" Plasmius acknowledged, his ghostly tone echoing with power. "We are here today to address a common problem: Danny Phantom."

The atmosphere tensed with that name, Ember's hand curling around the neck of her guitar as Skulker, next to her, growled menacingly. Even Walker, normally the picture of composure glared at the halfa as his two spectral attendants shuffled nervously.

"Of course we are!" Technus cried, "That hip youngster has been a thorn in our side time and again!"

Plasmius scowled at the phrasing. "Yes Technus, we have acknowledged this. Now, as you all know…young Daniel has been taken to an institution to be educated in conduct befitting a proper villain. As recent revelations have shown…this is an unacceptable development. Therefore, for the survival of ourselves, as well as the ghost zone and human world, we are charged with…rescuing Phantom…as distasteful as it might seem to many of you."

"The boy has escaped the prison I made his town into," Walker stated grimly. "Getting the punk back in his cell is of paramount importance. These other lawbreakers are just icing on the cake."

Vlad nodded. "I…assume you've planted the appropriate seeds in your prisoner's mind?"

Walker gave a brisk nod. "Wulf's guards have been making idle chat about Phantom's dilemma for days…I've made sure to make it sound like privileged information. One of his manacles will be 'accidentally' loosened in two day's time. Following his escape, he will try his best to aid his 'friend.'"

"Good," Vlad stated approvingly. "Now, as much of a thorn in our side as Daniel has been…the local superheroes could be as bad or possibly worse. Skulker, Technus, Ember…you know your roles?"

"We're the distraction…" Ember scowled. "We busy the heroes while you get the dipstick."

"Indeed…" Skulker nodded. "Though I am most displeased at our minimal involvement, we will make sure there is no interference."

"Those funky tykes won't know what hit them," Technus agreed. "We'll have them beaten like eggs!"

There was a collective sigh at the misused jargon and butchered English.

"And you are…_sure_ that you can take the child?" Walker asked delicately. "After all, news of your last encounter has trickled into even the ghost zone."

Vlad scowled as he debated an answer. Finally, he decided to settle all doubts in regards to his place as leader of this little cadre of ghosts. "Normally, even I would flinch at confronting what Daniel has become, but…like any good chess game, I have held a powerful piece in reserve for just such an occasion."

A dark form stepped through the wall on cue, leaving the collective audience, save for Jasmine, wide-eyed with surprise. Plasmius smirked darkly as the figure came to stand by his side, "In this instance, the piece is my Knight."

"My liege," the Fright Knight acknowledged, bowing at the waist. "My mount is ready. Am I to assume we will be storming the enemy fortifications soon?"

"Indeed," Plasmius nodded. "Remember, Fright Knight, that your place is by my side. When Walker drives the boy from the HIVE, I will need your aid in subduing him."

"Yes, my lord."

The assembled ghosts shifted nervously at the presence of the spirit of fear. He and his fabled sword were legend in the ghost zone as much as the human realm. As the awkward silence dragged on, Vlad turned to the only full-human seated at the table.

"Now Jasmine, my dear, I am to take it that Daniel's little friends are…occupied? Even the appearance of my Red Hunter could throw this plan into disarray. She is simply too much of a wild card when Phantom is concerned."

"Yes Vlad," Jazz nodded. "Sam and Tucker have been very busy with all of the recent ghostly activity. Valerie's place among them has become important since she and Tucker went in to rescue Sam from that beauty pageant. I don't think my brother is very present in their thoughts these days with all of the ghost attacks you've been prompting."

Vlad nearly glowed with the words. Jasmine had come such a long way…there wasn't a single trace of objection or anger in her description of his plans. In fact, if he didn't know any better, he'd almost say there was…admiration? "Very good. Now, if there are no other points of discussion…"

Silence among the assembled.

"…Then I call this meeting to a close. We will meet again in two days time. Be prepared for travel my friends, for we storm Jump City that day." Vlad grinned victoriously.

As the group cleared, Vlad smiled and allowed Jazz to leave, reminding her of the pending assignment she had coming due in her college-level psychology courses. Then, when she was gone, he turned to Skulker who had waited patiently while the room cleared. The metallic ghost nodded as Vlad approached him.

"And what of my payment?" The hunter asked bluntly, his main of hair flowing in a non-existent wind.

"In good time," Plasmius promised. "After all, there is but one halfa on the planet which you can safely hunt now that Daniel has grown into some of his powers. You can be assured that I have her in custody and you may release her and hunt her down at your leisure…"

Skulker grinned in appreciation of the coming hunt.

"-_After_ the battle," Vlad stipulated. "After all, with my capture of the original, I will have no use for that failed side-project."

* * *

Well, it's a little short, but I suppose the next one will make up for it. Why didn't I write in the Titans vs. Danny fight? Well...Danny's fought the Titans three times now. And you're getting a massive fight scene next chapter. Did you _really_ need to see another somewhat pointless fight scene?

Things are coming to a head in all directions...Vlad's assembled his troops, Blood's made his move, the Titans have reorganized, Beast Boy got a necklace that isn't going to have any effect on the plot whatsoever...and the Guys in White are amassing. For everyone who's been asking for an elongated fight scene...next chapter is dedicated to you. Yes, that's right, next chapter is going to be a mess...in more ways than one.

As always, Read, Review, and Enjoy-

-Slayer Anderson Out!


	16. Wake Up to A Nightmare

Slayer Anderson

HIVE-Minded XV

A Teen Titans/Danny Phantom Crossover

This Chapter was Begun: 04/12/10

* * *

Chapter 15-Wake Up to A Nightmare

Or

Bitter Resignations to Defeat

* * *

_The Watchtower T+3:00:00_

The Flash.

The heroic Crimson Comet, the Supersonic Speedster, the Monarch of Motion, the Sultan of Speed, and…a great many other embarrassing epitaphs that any other man would scoff at. Any _other _man.

It should be noted that the Flash was not just _any other man_.

He was brave, he was handsome, he was famous, and not the least bit humble about it, usually. There were, of course, things he knew he couldn't do, or at least, wasn't very good at doing. Such thing he usually left to other, more qualified, individuals while he went out and got a pizza…or several. These 'qualified individuals' commonly being another founding member of the Justice League such as Bats, J'ohnn who were well-versed in technology and possessed the necessary skill sets not to blow the Watchtower out of orbit and onto some little old lady's house.

As such, it should come to no one's surprise that The Flash was usually not assigned duty anywhere near volatile equipment or dangerous half-finished circuitry. One of the more common shifts he pulled as a result was monitoring the many, many, many, _many_(in his opinion, boring) Sectors that the Justice League patrolled on or around Earth.

For a person as…enthusiastic as The Flash, the boredom that came with monitor duty is completely understandable. Not only did the crimson-clad superhero have a naturally energetic personality, but combined with his enhanced perceptions and speed of body, though, and humor…sitting in a chair and indulging in what was essentially channel surfing was as soul-suckingly boring as was possible to imagine.

_Normal_

The massive hi-def screen flickers as The Flash taps the button again.

_Mundane_

Flicker

_No Crime_

Flicker

_Fourth of July Party_

Flicker

_Norm-_

The Flash blinked and moves the monitor back one channel to display the last image. Indeed, it did, at first glance, appear to be a massive Fourth of July Party, save to facts. It wasn't even April yet and, it couldn't possibly be a party as he hadn't been invited…

And you just did NOT forget to invite The Flash to a party that big.

"Uhh…J'ohnn, isn't Sector 8 where those Tiny Titans or whatever are set up?" The Flash asked, staring somewhat vacantly into the screen as a teenager in black and white was thrown for a loop in one of the many mid-air battles currently going on.

"Indeed," J'ohnn Jones, the Martian Manhunter, supplied tonelessly from his own console. "I believe Batman's apprentice captains the team in Jump City. Why do you ask?"

"Well…" The Flash drawled, gazing up at the flashing lights of the ongoing conflict, "I think someone decided to start World War Three over there."

J'ohnn blinked before hovering towards The Flash's monitoring station. True to Flash's word, there were a great many battles going on inside the city limits divided, themselves, among several different factions, one being the Teen Titans. Another group seemed entirely composed of a paramilitary group dressed in white suits, another with green skin wearing what seemed to be riot gear who all apparently could fly, and yet another group of unaffiliated super-powered individuals that could control strange blasts of green energy and were brawling almost indiscriminately with any side that fired on them. Of course, the regular Military Police were stuck in the middle of the miniature war and apparently under siege from _all_ sides save for the Titans and a group that he was almost _sure_ were marked as a new generation of HIVE graduates.

"Unfortuantely," J'ohhn stated, quickly taking a hold on the situation, "We cannot spare many League members due to current crises. However, I do believe Stargirl, Supergirl, and Plastic Man are currently on reserve. Flash, if you could contact them…"

When the Manhunter turned to address his fellow hero, a red streak of an after-image was all that was left of the spandex-clad individual.

_Jump City, HIVE Complex T-1:00:00_

Jinx was in turmoil.

Granted, that seemed to be a nearly constant state these days, but her current depressive mood owed itself to a far more serious problem than many of the other patches of sadness and anger. And, true to her nature, the fact that it _was_ more serious was a large part of the problem. Lastly, and again true to recent trends, Danny was the crux of the problem…Danny.

Not Phantom, but Danny.

She was _agonizing_ over the mess he was in with Brother Blood. The psychotic Headmaster had enslaved him nearly completely right in front of Jinx's eyes. She'd cried herself to sleep over his condition for two days, which was more tears than she'd shed for even her own graduation failure. And they were for some skinny little showoff of a boy that managed to be everything she'd never had in life.

In many ways, she should have hated the black and white-clad teen. He'd destroyed everything she'd _thought_ she'd wanted in life. Her debut crime spree had blown up in her face, her ace team had all but collapsed around her, and he'd shown her a world where she died a hero…the worst death a villain could imagine.

Of course, Danny had also shown her love. He'd stuck his neck out time and time again for her, he'd freed her from Blood's mind control, and she'd been looking forward to spending her life with him. There was a part of her, the darkest part, that wanted to absolutely _crush_ him for doing that to her and then being stupid enough to throw himself away like that…

Just to save _her_.

Danny was going to throw away his happiness, his life, and even his _free will_ to save some punk thief he'd only known for a handful of months. He was going to _destroy himself_ to save her measly little life when he had so _much_ to life for. Family, friends-_real friends_, and all the other trappings that went with a real _life_…everything she'd ever wanted so much but would make her look so weak to admit wanting…

She wasn't sure whether to hate him or love him more at that thought and the completely alien concept that he'd wanted to share that life with her. _With Her!_

So she'd spent hours by his bedside.

She'd begged, she'd pleaded, she'd bargained and cried for him to come back to her…for those terrible red-_red_-eyes to show just a glimmer of green, but all to no avail. She'd promised him outrageous things, things that, in a saner time, would have had her slapping herself silly in outrage and shame…

-that she'd quite villainy-

-they'd live together-

-she'd have sex with him-

-she'd never make him wear the dress again-

-that she wanted to get _married_…

Insanity. She'd said those insane things, things that she was _still_ willing to follow through with if he came back to her, and _meant_ them. She'd shocked herself to the core in declaring her love for him, in blatantly and unabashedly _needing_ him. And he still hadn't woken up from his red trance. There had been no trace of the man she loved in that terrifyingly blank gaze. He hadn't responded at all.

It was about then that some form of reason kicked in and she defaulted to HIVE rigorous training. The collar was obvious high-tech and messing with Danny's brain, so she wasn't willing to hex it off…

After all, with Danny's powers and his current emotional state, who knew where _that_ course of action would land them. Jump City would, most likely, be wiped off the map when the turmoil broke into a seething, writhing storm the likes of which had never been seen on earth before.

The normal route for high-tech problem was closed, too, with Blood's takeover of Gizmo and a large portion of the remaining HIVE student body. She could try manually deactivating the collar, but…

That plan ran the same risks as hexing the damn thing.

In the end, Kyd Wykkyd had shown up and dragged her back to her room with a solemn expression and sad eyes. The dark teen's silence had been welcome enough in Jinx's depression, but, as she explained the situation in detail, her fellow student could offer no substantial advice on how to resolve the problem.

She was considering it a small blessing that Kyd Wykkyd had ranked low enough on the last testing session that he hadn't been an immediate target of Bloods. Now, though, they were left with few resources, fewer people to call on for aid, and a complete inability to stop Danny from doing absolutely anything Blood wanted him to.

Finally, the two had developed one of the most desperate, insane, completely off-the-wall-plans that Jinx had ever been a party to. The idea that the two of them could actually attack and _defeat_ Brother Blood was appallingly hilarious. Most likely, the two of them would die trying. The only other thing she could see happening was Blood asserting his mind control on them…

But, if they could break Blood's control for even a moment…

If they could do that, then with Danny's wounds finally healed, he might be able to help them. With Danny in the fight, it would more than just even the odds. With Danny, Jinx believed that they could win.

She had to believe that, otherwise…

Otherwise, they were walking into certain death and that just wasn't something she did. She'd hope that she and Wykkyd would have just enough in them to pull Danny back out from whatever hole Blood had dumped him in and if they died doing it…the sensation was something entirely new to Jinx, something wholly unfamiliar. She had come to terms with the camaraderie of facing a life-or-death situation not for money, or for a mission, or any form of personal gain, but…

For a friend.

And, naturally, that was when everything went to Hell.

It started with the alarms blaring, red lights filled the corridors, and an assortment of villainous teens and acolytes poked their heads into the corridors. The next moment, a veritable flood of spectral shapes swamped the hallways in eerie green illumination. It took Jinx's eyes a moment to adjust, but all too soon, an army of ghosts swam into perspective, all clad in some odd combination of SWAT gear, riot shields, and archaic batons.

The next moment, there was war.

_Jump City, HIVE Compound, Headmaster's Quarters T-00:05:00_

All things said and done, Blood was rather pleased with himself.

He had toppled the HIVE Headmistress, taken care of her permanently, and assured the cooperation of two annoying pests. It should come as a surprise to no one, then, that Blood was rewarding himself with a barely-indulged treat of a glass of wine. The bottle was nearing seventy and an excellent vintage that had gone nearly extent in the decades since.

Soft music of an almost operatic quality was playing from hidden speakers as Brother Blood smiled to himself and gently sipped at his beverage. Grinning slightly wider, he toasted himself as the music came to its crescendo and a set of four, long, glowing claws cut into the aid right before his eyes. The claws struck downwards, leaving a gaping hole in the fabric of the universe through which Blood could see green-tinged eldritch energies seeping into his office.

Just as the deranged man made to stand, a shape that was all coarse fur, angry teeth, and twitching claws the length of knives lunged through the hole. On closer examination, the beast turned out to be…

Well, if he were completely honest with himself, Blood would admit that the first word that came to mind was 'werewolf.' Dismissing that notion until such could be proven, Blood charged a bolt of searing red psychic energy into his hand and prepared to throw the menace back into the void it had come from…

Only to have his blast impact a completely different target, one just stepping from the impromptu portal. As the man clothed in stark white flew across the room, Blood's frown deepened. Obviously, he would need to make security a _much _higher priority during his tenure as Headmaster…then, as he turned to confront the wolf-like being, he saw something that he had not expected from the corner of his eye…

Walker, slightly singed and now in much worse mood than his normally foul disposition, stood from the cracked indention he'd made when he'd collided with the wall and fixed a pair of glowing green eyes on the red-garbed human who'd assaulted him. Without a moment's hesitation, the Ghost Zone's Judge, Executioner, Jury, Executioner, and Execution launched himself towards Brother Blood with a superhumanly strong right hook.

It was understandable that neither the psychic nor the ghost warden saw Wulf bolt through the door…or the waves of ghost-guardsmen that swept after him. Blood's only consolation, after the entire debacle was over, would be that at least the intruder alarms had worked properly…

Well, that, and that his mental link with the device around Phantom's neck was working perfectly.

_HIVE Compound, Medical Bay, T-00:00:00_

There were very few upsides to mind control.

One of the most prominent, though, is perhaps the fact that one is unable to think of anything other than the current task assigned to him. It was a blessing in disguise that Danny could not think of family, friends, or Jinx while under the control of the collar. Instead, during the two days that it had taken him to heal, Blood poured instructions into his mind, cramming his brain with information as quickly as possible.

If he could have, he would have wondered…why?

Why would Blood make him smarter, more competent? Slowly, through the backlog of facts, knowledge, and directives, Danny realized that he was going to be Blood's top agent, a team leader. Such a position did not lend itself well to being controlled directly and micromanaged. He would have to think and direct a team on his own, and as such, needed some allowance of independent thought for strategy and tactics. Blood merely hoped to have him thoroughly brainwashed and obedient when such a time came. He'd not intended his 'greatest student' to see any form of combat for at least another week; then his reprogramming would be complete.

Sadly, Blood needed to activate him much earlier than necessary.

Still, Danny had to obey the orders that screamed through his mind.

1)Remove Blood's attacker from combat with the Headmaster.

2)If attacker (Walker, as part of his brain distantly recognized) will not retreat, engage in full combat and drive from HIVE Compound with _extreme prejudice_.

3)Defend HIVE from any force that threatens to compromise the Compound by any means necessary.

When Phantom's crimson-stained eyes snapped open, all he knew, all he could comprehend were the orders he'd been given. Thankfully, Blood had not been so foolish (or intelligent) as to attempt to erase Phantom's mind, seeing the combat experience he'd gained so far as a valuable asset. As such, when a mental image of Walker formed across Blood's mental link, it was all Danny could do to repress an upwelling of ironic amusement. In some distant, dark corner of his mind where Blood hadn't been able to reach, there was relief.

He wouldn't mind kicking Walker's ass.

No, not at all.

He phased through each and every obstacle in his way, speeding towards the scene of Blood's battle. It barely even registered that he was moving through a complete warzone within the halls of his school. In the few minutes that had elapsed from the unprecedented invasion of HIVE, the students' response would have repulsed any other kind of assault. As it was, pitched battles had broken out across three different levels of the compound as solid projectiles, low-grade explosives, and all manner of energy blasts were unleashed in volleys of death that pitted and collapsed corridors.

A historian would have compared the conflict to something like the battle for Stalingrad during world war two. The environment's close quarters, room-to-room fighting, and hellish amounts of ordinance being freely thrown about led to bitter struggles for the smallest territorial gains.

The mobility of the ghosts, being able to move through walls, turn invisible, and dodge solid attacks would have, in any other circumstance, awarded them a victory after a brief scuffle. The sheer…variety of the HIVE's defender's, though, stopped some of the ghosts dead in their tracks. Those precious few students who had created counters to some of Phantom's more annoying abilities were absolute terrors on such a battlefield.

Making matters worse, the heavy amount of structural damage that had been inflicted in the short amount of time the battle had been going on saw to waterlines being ruptured, electrical panels exposing raw wiring, and complete blackouts in even more sections as light bulbs were blown out en masse.

Such was Phantom's focus that he traversed the entire battleground in 10 minutes.

What he found on the other side was something that he would remember, despite the brainwashing, for the rest of his life. If it had just been a contest of power, perhaps it would not have been burned into his mind's eye so hard. Instead, it was a duel of raw skill. Brother Blood had had at least a lifetime to hone what were, by anyone's standards, prodigious psychic talents.

And Walker…well, Danny didn't know _exactly_ how long Walker had been alive…dead…existing in the ghost zone. Still, the bleached ghost tended to be one of his more intelligent and skilled opponent. It was only a moment that he was really able to absorb what he was seeing, but the few minutes of pitched battle had definitely taken their toll on both combatants. Green ectoplasmic blood seeped from cuts and gashes in Walker's normally pristine uniform and Blood's scholarly robes had been all but torn to shreds, revealing the combat-suit underneath.

And then, astonishingly, Brother Blood was thrown, bodily, by a massive blast of green light, catapulting him through three walls and laying him to rest in a heap of rubble. Walker's monochromatic green orbs were alight with malicious intent as they fixed onto Phantom's own…

The ghost warden had to stop himself from retreating back as those fiery red eyes shocked him to the core. Nonetheless, he put forth his best bravado-

"Well, well, well, Punk…I don't recall anyone giving you parole. You might have managed to escape the prison that I made your town into, but you're going right back into it. Now, we can do this the easy way…or the fun way," Walker's grin widened appreciably at the latter option. "What's it gonna' be…punk?" As the ghost boy had always been one for witty banter, the sudden, un-telegraphed, attack left Walker flatfooted.

Phantom took full advantage.

He had crossed the space between them in the blink of an eye, an uppercut already chamber and flying into Walker's jaw. Jarred out of his shock, Walker retaliated with a blast of green ectoplasmic energy. Still, Phantom's red orbs remained locked on target as his spectral body discorporated into mist, the barely-visible substance allowing him to dodge Walker's strikes by disconnecting his torso from his legs. It was an almost given, of course, that Phantom would dodge the initial blow and Walker had planned for it…

What he didn't plan for was Phantom using his wispy body to turn his entire upper half into a giant whip. The left hook caught Walker by surprise again, both in speed and power as the other ghost was flung back and through one of the honey-comb walls. Phantom disappeared as he followed the ghost warden through the wall.

The immensity of the training hall on the other side was both a good and bad thing.

Without having to worry about absurd amount of debris falling on his head, Phantom unleashed a greater amount of his power. Icy cold blasts of ecto-energy flew like a storm of arrows, following the weightless form of Walker even as he righted himself mid-air and pulled enough of his faculties together to dodge the chilling attacks. Red eyes gazed dispassionately at the warden, there was no hint of irritation, anger, regret, or anything else that had always given him the edge in a fight against the whelp.

Phantom had always been just too…human.

_It looks like someone managed to get him in the right mindset, at least_, Walker noted, his fingers twitching lightly as he weighed his options for the next offensive. Even as he was about to attack, the ghost teen managed to resolve some unseen inner conflict and opened his mouth to speak…

"I'll give you one warning Walker. Take you men and leave. This isn't like our other fights; I won't hold back." The ultimatum was delivered in a toneless voice, devoid of any concern for Walker's or Phantom's own wellbeing. Still, it was almost as if the punk was…worried about something.

"Just when I was starting to think you'd turned into a real ghost, whelp, you go and say something like that. You obviously need more time away, but if you think you can take me on…" Walker's grinned managed to be challenging and dismissive at the same time even as it patronized Phantom in widening to a new breadth.

"Then by all means, _Bring It_."

The HIVE training facility shook as winds howled around the two battling ghosts, echoing off damaged beams and equipment. The crimson light in Phantoms eyes took on a decidedly more fiendish light as miniature cyclones erupted in the confined space, chilling rain and hail emerging from newly developing cloud cover. Under the constraints of the mind control collar, Danny shivered in euphoric pleasure at finally unleashing a small part of the trapped pressure he'd been holding back for so _long…_

Walker, very briefly, contemplated retreat.

_Very briefly._

Then the battle began anew.

Walker raised an ecto-shield to deflect scattered blasts of freezing ghostly energy hidden within the forming storm. Even as the attacks were deflected, the ghost warden retaliated with his own rapid-fire rain of green death. Instead of merely dodging, Phantom's form split, leaving the ordinance to fly harmlessly between them. Lightning speared down from the artificial clouds clinging to the room's ceilings, barely missing Walker…

The cyclones didn't.

Luckily for the ghost warden, the miniature tornadoes didn't have enough room to grow into the monstrous power of their larger cousins, though they did throw enough debris into the air to cause substantial harm to Walker before the white-clad ghost managed to concentrate enough to assume an insubstantial state.

As he disappeared from the two Phantoms' sight, it was obvious that he'd also taken the opportunity to become invisible. Throwing on the Spook Specs to try and get a bead on their enemy, the Phantoms were blind-sided by a waved of green energy from behind them, throwing them off-balance and leaving them open for the follow-up physical attacks.

Walker chose to concentrate on one of the two, chancing that he could either destroy the duplicate or at least throw off the original…

Only to be shocked as the two ghosts recovered much faster than Walker had ever seen Phantom do so, catching the warden between them and double-teaming him. Faced with such an assault, Walker pulled up massive amounts of energy from his reserves and flung both teen ghosts away in an explosion of ghostly energy.

As both Phantoms impacted on opposite sides of the room, their eyes shot open in brilliant displays of crimson light, anger visibly tainting the storm in the room as its violence cranked up several notches. Even Walker, who felt he'd seen the majority of the punks new 'tricks' was left gaping in horrible awe at the amount of raw and unrestrained power he was displaying.

A pity that he was so occupied by the sight as to miss the accumulating electricity right above his head…

_Jump City, HIVE Underground Facility, Unknown Hallway T+00:15:00_

Jinx ducked and rolled, lashing out with another hex bolt and grinning as a ghost screamed in pain. Safely hidden for the moment she wondered at the sudden reversal of her situation. She'd gone, in mere moments, from hating HIVE, Blood, and everything in the damn place with a passion, to defending the same location with everything she had.

Maybe it was just that she wanted to destroy the place personally.

In any event, she might be able to turn this cluster-fuck to her advantage. If she could catch Blood unaware in the battle, she and Kyd Wykkyd would have a much better chance of actually taking the other villain down.

_Now, if she could just…-_

Jinx's eyes shot open wide in shock as a furry, stinky, paw wrapped around her and pulled her _through_ the wall in mimicry of Danny's insubstantial state. Seeing Wykkyd's eyes grow in alarm also, she readied herself to fight for her life as she emerged into a disused classroom relatively untouched by the fighting save for the occasional burn mark here or there. In the dim lighting, as half of the bulbs had been broken, she was shocked to see something even more frightening than what her villainous career had already acclimated her to.

The ambient glow surrounding the anthropomorphic wolf-man, his bedraggled appearance, and the vicious-looking teeth and claws stunned her into inactivity for a long second as the two stared at each other. In that moment, Kyd Wykkyd slipped through a portal of liquid darkness, appearing in his trademark style of teleportation. The spectral animal-man's reaction was, strangely, to crouch protectively over Jinx, growling menacingly at Wykkyd.

Wykkyd blinked, looking to his de facto command for advisement.

Jinx refrained from rolling her eyes at the strangeness before her. Instead, she cleared her throat meaningfully, trying to get the wolf's attention. If nothing else, it might let Wykkyd stun him enough for her to get a free hex bolt in. She'd expected the ghost were-wolf(?) to do many things at her sudden movement, among them were biting her face off.

She did not expect to be licked, very thoroughly, by a creature with breath as bad as a human's and a dog's combined.

Wykkyd paused in his assault as he heard a gravelly voice growl, "Friend."

Momentarily struck dumb by the address, Jinx simply blinked as Wulf tried to get out another sentence in English. Finally, he pointed to himself with one long claw and said, "Wulf…where Danny?"

Both villains-in-training blinked again as they processed yet another shock. Recovering her wits, finally, Jinx managed to ask, "You're…you know Danny?"

Wulf nodded frantically, keeping in mind what he'd heard from Walker's men and the need to aid his friend. Pointing to himself again, he growled out, "friend," taking a moment to sniff Jinx to reassure what he'd smelled so far, he pointed at the pink-haired witch and said, as best he could, "Danny…mate."

Wykkyd was grateful in that moment that he was mute. The laughter would have ruined the mood and, judging by Jinx's blush, brought her ire upon him. Instead, there was a mangled exchange of information with the ghost called 'Wulf.' Apparently, some other ghost was trying to capture Phantom, they'd organized the assault on HIVE, and were lying in wait for Phantom to be flushed out of the underground compound into the City above.

Looking at Wykkyd after a long moment of considering the new information, Jinx nodded. "Change of plans. We've got Danny's back until this mess is over, then we _deal _with Blood. Now, do either of you have any idea where he is?"

Wykkyd and Wulf exchanged clueless glances that didn't help Jinx's situation at all. On the upside, neither her nor Wykkyd (nor Wulf apparently) were injured or tired and, as long as Danny didn't go top-side, they'd have plenty of time to-

A massive explosion rocked the base to it's foundation, dropping all three in the room to the ground as they tried to gather themselves back into fighting shape. Finally, all three of them shared a look as Jinx uttered a string of profanities. There was a consolation, of course…

At least they knew where Danny was, now.

"We have to get to the surface," Jinx decided. "Knowing Danny, that was at least _partially_ his fault." Strangely enough, neither the spectral were-wolf decided to argue with the deduction.

_Jump City-Aboveground HIVE T+00:30:00_

Jump City was a very different place than Amity Park.

There are numerous factors that can account for these differences. One of the central factors was the wide-spread disbelief that ghosts did not exist. The goings-on in Amity Park had been widely dismissed as mass-hysteria and hallucination on the part of the town's populace. Jump City was not plagued by the supernatural, merely by crime. Although many of the super villains defied common sense, criminals were something people could wrap their minds around.

As such, Jump City had many different layers of interlocking security to defend their citizens. Street level police aided with common criminals. Military police enforced meta-human laws and ran security on prisons. National guard troopers from three different bases could be called in the event of a real emergency. Finally, there were the Titans. And that is, of course, ignoring any CIA, FBI, ATF, State Marshalls, or any other organization that could have any number of operatives in the city at any give point in time.

Putting aside discussions of legal standing for the moment and looking to Amity Park, it was obvious at first glance that they had neither the quantity nor quality of the public security that Jump City afforded and maintained. Much of the local police department and the small squad of SWAT were underpaid, overworked, and had little or no idea of how to deal with the ghost-crises plaguing their city nearly everyday.

Such was the reason why the Guys in White could run rough-shod over the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, Federal Laws, and prohibitions against cruel and unusual treatment of sentient life forms. As a separate wing of law enforcement quietly created shortly prior to WWII and quickly forgotten about, their existence was known to few and cared about by even fewer and, given their common area of operations-small towns, isolated 'haunted houses,' and rural communities outside of the public eye, it should be of no surprise to anyone why exactly that was.

It should, again, come as no surprise to anyone, that when the Guys in White organized what was, in effect, an _invasion_ of Jump City with a force of over two-hundred heavily armed individuals with enough fire power and anti-ghost artillery to level the entire city several times over…no one thought it strange that they did not notify any of the local, state, federal, or military agencies that had pervious jurisdiction over the area.

They were the Guys in White, charged with protecting America from the very _real_ threat of ghosts, spooks, specters, and other ectoplasmic threats to national security…why should they be concerned with inter-agency cooperation? They had never bothered to do so before, simply flashing badges and crushing any interference from local law enforcement, why should this time be any different?

And, they were dealing with _Danny Phantom_-

Any and all shows of force were absolutely necessary in their eyes.

This was why they hadn't bothered to consult or notify _anyone_ when they dispatched a half-dozen agents to rig anit-ecto explosives to the disused warehouse where their instruments detected at least a hundred ghosts had converged, probably from a direct portal to the Ghost Zone. This was_ obviously_ a second attempt at the ghost invasion that had sent Amity Park into a panic. They'd been caught unawares during that occasion, but struck gold this time! Not only did they have an entire White Vanguard in the city, they could even make the first strike against the spectral menace!

The Warehouse serving as the camouflage for the HIVE Academy was blown sky-high just as Phantom's explosion of ball lightning blew the top, literally, off both Walker and the HIVE facility. It was sheer luck that no casualties occurred in such as blast. The noise was cacophonous, blowing debris a hundred feet in all directions and injuring dozens of criminals, civilians, law enforcement personal, and Guys in White. As it was, the dual-explosions had both their desired effect and a completely unintended side-effect.

The desired effect was that a full half of Walker's goons, Walker himself, Phantom(now reunified) and a number of HIVE's student body found themselves on the surface in the midst of an enormous collection of Guys in White. The unintended effect was the alerting of every possible group that was concerned with the welfare of Jump City as a whole.

* * *

Well, it might have taken me way, way, waaaaaaay too long to get this out, but it's out.

Now, to assign blame for this horrible misdirection of my time away from my stories, my fans, and other important stuff. First, I'd like to blame school. As I've just finished(mostly, finals are over) senior year, it was an uphill battle to get ANYTHING written these last few months. Second, I'd like to blame a hard drive failure. My laptop's hard drive failed and all my rough-drafts of all previous chapters were completely lost...along with a lot of other stuff related to in-progress chapters and other fics. This is a big reason why I haven't been able to update. As it is, I've had to rewrite this bad boy three times to get it up to the original's standards. Now, third, I'd like to blame the fifty-some-odd PAGES of reports/research papers/ect...I've had to do this semester. Finally, my ninety year old great aunt has been in and out of the hospital since before Christmas and my grandfather had a very minor stroke recently. They're both okay, but it's been somewhat trying in connection to everything else. In light of getting this out ASAP, I'm overlooking my normal review sections, but I just want to get something off my chest, real quick-

**_I SAY WHEN MY STORIES ARE DISCONTINUED, NO ONE ELSE._**

Each and every little whiner that told me I wasn't going to keep going on this story ticked me off so much that this chapter is dedicated to you. I dedicate this chapter to each and every nay-sayer and doubting Thomas that took the time to tell me that, even though they loved the story, they were sure I was dead and gone forever. Well, Screw You.

The Slayer Lives and Good Tidings to All,

I'm getting some sleep now.

(Oh, and Check out my new HP fic, Fangs of Man and Beast)


	17. How I Learned to Love the Bomb

Slayer Anderson

HIVEMinded XVI

A Teen Titans/Danny Phantom Crossover

Begun-05/17/10

* * *

Chapter 16-How I Learned to Love the Bomb

Or

In Which Much Violence Happens

To say that Cyborg's 'Titan Alert' system was something like a home security analog would be an accurate comparison. Of course, it would also be a complete oversimplification. To compare the two would be akin to placing a Da Vinci or Rembrandt against the doodles of a two-year-old with finger-paints. Granted, both could be considered 'paintings' in the loosest sense, but there is a world of difference.

Especially since Cyborg moved from being second in command to the devoted 'trouble-monitor' for the team. In addition to being the go-to guy for repairs and technology in the tower, the metal teen was almost solely responsible for the maintenance of the system that allowed them to know when a super villain attacked, a natural disaster occurred, a cat was in a tree, or…

When a building blew up, for example.

Of course, there had been very few large-scale alerts since the Titans had taken up residence in Jump City. There had been the occasional villain attack, indeed, but never had multiple alarms gone off so loudly or so urgently until that day in May. Ironically, it was perhaps the _least_ necessary warning the team had gotten yet, as the enormous fireball rising above the warehouse district was more than proof enough that something was very, very _wrong_ in Jump City.

Theories behind what was happening flew through the Titans' minds as they traversed the city in record time. Robin's thoughts were flowing around the HIVE, Phantom, and the newly revealed 'Slade.' Raven's mind had sharpened to the razor-like preparedness that a lifetime of meditation had instilled in her. She knew her job and would protect her friends and the people of the city, little else mattered. Starfire was torn between concern for her friends, the people who might have been caught in the explosion, and raining righteous justice down on those who had brought violence to her home. Cyborg was _absolutely sure_ Phantom had something to do with this.

Beast Boy…had just found the 'topless' code for Ninja Beach Volleyball, so it should be obvious what he was thinking about.

None of them expected what they found.

The closest approximation would be a all out war. Absolute insanity raged across the streets as the shouts of the injured and those of furious combatants welled up in rubble-strewn alleys and roads. The battlefield was still thick with ash and dust from the explosion, but the Titans could pick out three distinct 'sides' among the warring factions. Even in the late afternoon, dozens of green-glowing figures with legs like whips of mist struck out with batons and fists onto an _extremely_ well-armed group of white-clad attackers brandishing futuristic weapons firing blasts of green energy against the last set of combatants-a hodgepodge of magic-users, muscle-bound fighters, and projectile-launching warriors of both physical and more…esoteric kinds with seemingly no unifying theme…

Although the Guys in White seemed to take special attention to any of the green figures, they took exception to any of the magic-users also, creating a strange atmosphere where coalitions between the other two sides would spontaneously form to break up a battle-group of the white clad attackers…then they would turn on each other as if they hadn't just defeated a common enemy. No quarter was being given and none was asked for as the battle waged. Even a lengthy study proved that their first assumptions had been correct: it was insanity. The Titans were able to deduce the truth of the situation in seconds.

"All right Titans, lets-"

_BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!_

The team of heroes had instantly scattered upon hearing the incoming blast, leaving the rooftop they were standing on with a new blackened scar of a crater, leading all to look up from whence the strike had come. Amazingly, they were treated to an even stranger sight than the raging battle in the streets below.

Arrayed opposite the Titans were Ember, Technus, and Skulker, each wearing their own form of menacing grin and bearing their weapons of choice. The ghost zone's greatest hunter wore a gauntlet onto which was mounted a smoking blaster, presumably the armament which had fired upon them.

"Oh so sorry children," the nasal voice of Technus grated as the clamps at the end of his mechanical tentacles snapped ominously. "You see, this hootenanny is by invitation only. If you want to join this hip dance party, you'll have to go through us."

"Indeed," Skulker stated gravely, though his devilish grin never wavered through Technus' butchering of the English language, "I'm afraid we have a…vested interest in keeping you out of _our_ affairs."

"So but out," Ember finished, her fingers strumming a quick riff, "Or throw down, what's it gonna' be?"

Before anyone could answer and the obvious battle begin, the rooftop door slammed open, three people(?) running out onto the roof in a rush. All were plainly harried and looking around the battleground for something or someone. The lead teenage girl, wearing her hair in twin pink horns was speaking even as the door burst aside.

"-emergency exit, HIVE's got a bunch. From here we should be able to find Danny-" Jinx detailed, speaking to the two behind before going abruptly silent at the sight before her. Silence reigned supreme for a long moment, the background scuffle of the battle ringing loud in their ears.

Jinx swore sulfurously, "Oh, you've _got_ to be _shitting me!_"

The three ghosts, knowing that Vlad had instructed them to stall the Titans as long as possible, saw the sudden awkwardness as a gift-wrapped opportunity, lashed out with their respective attacks. The Titan's situational awareness proved a great boon again, even as they were distracted, they all moved to dodge. The fact that Skulker's volley of energy attacks included the area where Wulf, Kyd, and Jinx were standing only complicated the situation.

As all parties moved to dodge the ordinance and the following physical attacks, the two HIVE members, the Titans, and Wulf, wove into each other's groups, leaving the traditional battle pairings a ragged mess. Technus almost immediately aimed towards the caped Titan, naturally wary of technology-using enemies after Tucker's shenanigans with his systems. As a quartet of tentacles snaked towards the dark hero, Jinx's eyes widened. For a brief moment, the companionable conversation they'd shared during the warehouse party and her hand, already charged with pink energy, moved of its own accord.

As the hex bolt connected, Raven's attention was drawn from the shield she'd maintained to block Skulker's attack and towards the green-tinted techno-ghost. Pink energy played wrathful harm on Technus' arms as one outright exploded and the other three veered away from their target.

Raven stared, briefly, as Jinx wove acrobatically between the attacks, coming to rest in a stance right beside her wearing a shit-eating grin. Something passed between the Titan and HIVE agent as they both nodded, moving in tandem as they assaulted the multi-limbed menace.

On the other side of their small rooftop battleground, Cyborg and Robin suddenly found their own 'dance partner,' Skulker, struck by a blindingly fast kick wreathed in black shadow. The hunter, who'd been taking aim with his wrist-mounted blaster, was thrown off balance for the double upper-cut that the two Titans then delivered. Taking flight, Skulker scowled down at the Earth-bound teens as an entire _arsenal_ unfolded from various compartments. The unlikely allies stared in shock and no little fear as Skulker's grin widened again and the guns began to blaze.

Panic nearly set in as Cyborg and Robin frantically dodged, leaping and diving between bright beams of energy and trying to retake the initiative. Kyd teleported rapidly, appearing and disappearing in flashes of darkness before finally popping up behind Skulker in mid air. Striking down, he threw off Skulker for a moment, leaving Cyborg to swing his cannon around and take aim as Kyd vanished again a reappeared back on the roof.

Robin, likewise, let loose a volley of bird-a-rangs at the opportunity, the ensuing eruption of sonic energy and metal shrapnel decimated the hunter ghost's flying capability, sending him crashing back to the roof. Celebration was short lived as Skulker stood up from his own rubble and ruined engine, a livid growl on his face.

Not far away, Starfire and Beast Boy were being held at bay by the righteous riffs of Ember's guitar. The visible energy lashed out seemingly endlessly as Starfire traded energy bolts with the spectral musician and Beast Boy ran interference. Finally, her luck ran out and Starfire was a second too late in her dodge, leaving…

A black blur flashed by, taking Starfire with it as Wulf held the alien princess against himself with a large arm. Taken aback, both women could only watch as Wulf sniffed the Tamaranian, making the alien giggle. The ghost smiled largely and gave Starfire a long lick with his tongue, reverting to his native Esperanto in his eagerness to communicate nonviolence. He knew who they were fighting and knew of plenty times his friend Phantom had fought her. They had a score to settle.

Ember and Starfire were left blinking at string of foreign sentences, but Beast Boy just nodded and, at the end, let out a long string of unfamiliar phrases himself. Wulf grinned…wolfishly and nodded with an energetic jerking of his head.

"Friend Beast Boy, you can understand the large furry one that saved me?" Starfire asked, her eyes wide.

B.B. blinked and turned to his friend with a fanged smile. "Oh, yeah. This is Wulf, he wants to be our friend and help us fight against the bad ghosts. He's also looking for Phantom to…warn him about something. Sorry, my Esperanto's a little rusty."

"Most glorious!" Strfire squealed, clenching her arms around Wulf. "Thank you for saving me, new friend Wulf!"

Ember twitched. "Gag me with a spoon. If the hug-fest is over, I'm going to finish kicking your buts now, cool?" The musical ghost hefted her guitar, then grinned, "Oh, wait, I'm the_ bad_ guy…I don't need your permission. Try an C sharp, dipsticks!"

Beast Boy morphed into an insect, buzzing between the visible waves of sonic disturbance. Wulf was instantly intangible, phasing through the roof and taking Starfire with him, only to reemerge a moment later, the orange alien taking leave of the ghost were-wolf and floating above her enemy as her eyes and hands glowed a hot green.

Ember snorted and cranked up the volume.

"Just _try_ it."

* * *

Naomi Fuller had had a difficult few months.

After the alien invasion, she'd been a bit of a celebrity. After all, it wasn't everyday that a fourth grader managed to save two teenagers who'd just stopped a giant space lizard attack on their school. The teachers had punished her, of course, though their heart hadn't been in it. Naomi's heart, though, had been even less in school than usual. She'd dropped off pranks on the staff, stopped paying attention, and almost completely 'checked out.'

Skipping school at least once a week, and usually more, she'd been learning how to do something that _her_ school could never teach her. In the beginning, she'd started running into walls, trees, and just about anything else…including the local dump.

As it was now, she'd gotten a pretty good handle on the basics of her…_powers_. Naomi smiled slightly, that never got old. She had _powers!_ At first, she'd thought it was just super-speed, but that theory had been disproved…painfully, and almost fatally. Trying to outrun a speeding train was _not _something a superhero in-training should do. Of course, it had helped get her out of her near-death funk when she figured out what her powers did…or, at least, most of _what _they did.

And, of course, she'd had to make a costume.

It wasn't exactly pretty, but it stood up to a month's worth of abuse in training session after training session and hadn't fallen apart. Given the fact that she'd run into everything from buildings, to cars, to, on one memorable occasion, a multi-ton bulldozer, she was fairly sure the mass of welded metal and mesh would hold up against the rigors of combat. At least, it had better hold up, considering how heavy the damn thing was and how much muscle mass she'd had to build up to even _wear_ it…and the fact that she'd spent all of three month's allowance and _then some_ to get it put together.

But still, as her fist connected with one of the white-suited thugs, she couldn't help but smile. Every burn, scrape, bruise, and that cracked rib from the incident with the train had paid off…

She was kicking ass and taking names!

Tapping the spark of _power_ within her, Naomi spun, propping her body up on a single hand effortlessly and lashing out with a kick that snapped a Guy in White's glasses and left him reeling. Grinning beneath her metal mask, another kick sent the government agent to the ground, out cold.

"Oi, Hold it right there!"

Countless movies had ingrained the sound of cocking guns as Naomi froze instinctively, inwardly cursing with words that no ten-year-old should know. On the other side of firearms leveled at her stood a half-dozen military police in full anti-meta-human gear.

"Identify yourself lad!"

Sergeant Michael McKenney tried _very_ hard to sound confident when he spoke. As a veteran of dozens of meta-human contact squads, he knew exactly how far south this Op. could go. With probably hundreds of meta-humans running around on the streets of Jump City, the havoc being wreaked was enormous and he _didn't _relish the thought of confronting someone who could blow his head off his shoulders with a backwards glance when all he had was a peashooter like a fifty-cal energy rifle.

The figure in front of him was proof enough. Despite being, most likely, a child, the meta-human just took down five of the white-clothed men almost effortlessly while moving like greased lightning. Only the fact that the city was under attack from _multiple_ different sources kept him from authorizing his team to open fire on their unknown meta. After all, someone, even a kid, standing their ground against five adults armed to the teeth in only a suit of rough hewn metal with raw weld marks…

Well, it was honestly fucking frightening to a seasoned field operative.

Focusing on the person's…face, which consisted of a skull-like piece of shaped metal with dark lenses for eyes and a grill over the mouth, he repeated his orders, "Identify yourself lad!"

"Uh…" Both parties blinked at the verbal stumble. "I'm…a good guy, er…girl, I guess. I mean, I'm…here to help!" McKenney himself stared longer at the figure, daring his mind to believe what his eyes were telling him. The voice of the _girl_, the young girl no older than his own daughter, indicated an age much younger than he'd thought actually possible. The metal around her body seemed more like a closely crafted second-skin than any real armor and shone brightly in the sunlight. There was something more…fluid about the way she moved than he'd seen in anything other than the most professional fighters…or predatory animals.

Later, he'd dismiss his observations of the city's newest Super as something primal in his Scots-Irish blood, looking back to the dawn of time when fey-things stalked the dark shadows of his ancestors' land, but at the time… At the time, though, he couldn't reconcile the movements of that suit of armor with anything truly _human_ in nature. In some way, her body language screamed 'supernatural' at him. "L-lass," He cried, addressing their mystery guess, "I'm asking you to stand down and identify yourself. This is your last chance before we open fire and take you in."

An immense shadow blocked out the sun behind the assembled group and, turning, the men perceived the figure of one of the few meta-humans on the streets today whose identity was known...and the entire squad paled underneath their masks. Mammoth grinned viciously and cracked his knuckles as the military police took cautious steps back. "Well, well, well, whadda' we have here? Can't be the fuzz trying to arrest an upstanding meta that ain't doing no wrong to anyone, can it? 'Cause if that's the case…I'm gonna' haf ta do sumthin' 'bout it.'"

Now pinned on both sides, McKenney swore silently and prepared to trying and push his way through the one at their back. Everyone on his squad knew that firing on Mammoth would do nothing more than irritate the brute. Hopefully, despite the impressive combat ability she'd displayed, their firearms would do _something_-

All jaws dropped as the figure in the rough but shining armor _flipped_ over their small troop and struck a steel-coated heel on Mammoth's shoulder. To their shock and awe, the blow caused the giant to come tumbling down as if hit by a meteor. Though Mammoth immediately recovered and rolled, coming up from his brief dirt nap scowling and growling. "Well ain't that a peach?" The giant spat. "You're one of those goody-two-shoes, huh and here I was being all neighborly? Well…I can fix that!"

The punch he threw would have level a small building…if it had hit.

Naomi smirked as she nearly flew around the punch, her steps light despite being weighed down by such metal as she was encased by. So agile was she that her body _flowed_ up Mammoth's arm, spiraling around the bulky appendage as easily as if it were a staircase. Using the giants shoulder as a fulcrum, Naomi drove both of her feet into Mammoths gut with all the force of pile-driver, shooting the HIVE member away from the battlefield and crashing into an office building. After a moment, the rubble surrounding the hole stirred and Naomi's eyes widened, "No _freaking_ way! He's getting up from _that!_"

"Might I suggest a tactical retreat, then, lass?" McKenney asked tentatively, still slightly unsure as to what side the girl was.

Naomi spun, having evidently forgotten that the men were there, "Uh…I thought you guys were gonna' take me in?"

The military police shuffled uncomfortably as McKenney spoke up for them. "I erm...wouldn't sit right with us, takin' ye' in after the number ye' did on that giant. 'Sides, ye' seem like a good enough sort."

Behind the grill of her mask, Naomi smiled at the man's Scottish baroque accent. "Alright, then…let's get out of here!

Mammoth, shaking gravel out of numerous places on his body, glared at the empty scene of the recent battle. The squirt had taken him by surprise this time, but next time…the giant slammed on massive fist into the palm of the other hand. Oh yeah…he'd get her back _real_ good.

* * *

Smoke and burning material clogged the air immediately above the former warehouse which had hidden the HIVE compound. Violent fires raged in their surroundings, though none caused any real injury due to the lack of residents in the immediate areas. Confusion was high in those first few moments after the blast, especially for a white and black-clad ghost teen who had been blown hundreds of feet into the air, only his spectral lungs keeping him form choking on the noxious fumes. Red eyes searched the immediate airspace and, finding no threat, Phantom shot into another cloud of smoldering soot and ash, determined to find his foe.

It was fairly easy to turn the uncontrolled upward spiral into a stable hovering flight. The city below him was a mass of sparking flame, embers raining down from the explosion only moments before. His own power turned the fiery skies into a vortex of withering cold and furnace-like winds. Each glowing piece of shrapnel swept aloft seemed to flutter in the ethereal breezes that Phantom's form summoned up effortlessly. Having prepared for a violent explosion, though perhaps not necessarily of that size, he'd been much better shielded than Walker, whose own torn and tattered form floated opposite him, leaking green ectoplasmic blood from numerous small wounds. A weak corona of angry viridian energy glowed around the ghost warden, silhouetting him against the scene of destruction below then. Vaguely, Danny felt some slight pang of crippling sadness at the chaos he'd wrought, though it was crushed by the unfeeling red miasma that Blood had soaked his conscious mind in.

The wind whipped excitedly at his command as the former ghostly hero fixed his crimson gaze on Walker…who, for his part, was neither motivated nor desirous of pursuing further battle. As he looked on the teen which had come to be so much a thorn in his side…he swore that, should he get away with his afterlife in tact, this would be the last time he'd challenge the ghost-child. Whatever Phantom had become, Walker could not say, with any certainty, that he could win, even should he have his entire force at his back…the still-impeccable looking teen floating opposite him, his stark white coat glowing without even a single stain or mark of blood…the black and white jumpsuit underneath equally pristine…the still-sheathed weapon on his back…and those horrible crimson eyes…

It was time to cut his losses.

But first, he had to get away…

A sizzling bolt of pink-violet energy seared through the already-burning air, striking pointlessly against a shield of green ectoplasm shot through with red whorls of psionic power, causing both combatants to turn from whence the blast came. Floating in the sky some dozen feet away from them was the grinning form of Vlad Plasmius. The vampiric ghost gave off a decidedly unimpressed air, the corners of his lips twitching into a sardonic, mocking grin. The red glare of his younger counterpart's eyes gave him slight pause, but it was nothing along the timetable that Jasmine had outlined for him. Young Daniel _would_ be his apprentice and, should he prove to be too far gone along the path that would destroy the world, well…

He'd be sure to at least save a few good samples for the cloning vat.

"Hello, _son_," Vlad grinned, "I see Walker's done his part…the city in chaos, your playmates the Titans tied up with a few of your old friends, and the rest of the city's defenders…as well as those infuriating government agents, occupied indefinitely. Well, this should make plenty of time for us to have a little…_conversation_."

"We don't have anything to talk about," Phantom growled, his voice harsh with emotion compared to the blank slate of a mask he wore as electricity sparked over his form ominously. "You're not my father; you're not anything to me!"

"Quite to the contrary…you see, Jasmine told me a very interesting story after you and your parents managed to drive her off. If anything, I'm here as your _savior_…the death of the human world and the ghost zone are not in anyone's best interests, young Daniel."

Confusion, followed by a cold lance of terror speared his heart, throttling the tight control he'd fought and _bled_ for. The winds quickened pace around him, a rapidly darkening cloud cover swiftly forming as chill breezes caught still more embers from the numerous fires alight in the city below them. Despondently, the ghost teen's head dropped, hurt and betrayal lacing his harsh words. "Jazz…you-you couldn't have…_why?_"

"I thought it would be obvious," Vlad commented, amusement dripping from his voice as Danny's head snapped up, spearing him with that crimson gaze once again. "You a danger to yourself, Daniel. You think you can handle the situation which you've gotten yourself into…and you obviously _can't_. You've made too many enemies…I'm the only ally you have left."

"And you think _you_ can _save_ me?" Danny asked bitterly from somewhere beneath Blood's mind control, the separation from his 'master' unexpectedly allowing him some measure of free will. The urge to follow those orders, though… "I seriously thought _you_ were trying to drive me over to the dark side! Guess what, it worked!"

"Crime and genocide are two different things, Daniel. There is a difference between evil and madness," Vlad spat, his voice having lost all trace of humor.

"No," Phantom stated unequivocally. "There isn't. If there's one thing I've learned in the HIVE, it's that one drives the other. You can't save me Vlad."

"If you suddenly have all the answers," Plasmius sneered, "Then pray tell, _who can?_"

"Her name is Jinx," Danny said. "Though…I'm not going to ask her to save me, I'd never ask her to do something like that. See…being _bad_ is a part of who she is and I'd never take that away from her. Still, I'm going to protect her, from anything that tries to hurt her…and this invasion of yours is the biggest threat to her safety right now."

Vlad snorted, "_A woman_, then? I'm surprised at you, Daniel…giving an answer so similar to my own. It is a shame we'll be even more similar when your romance ends like mine."

"We're _nothing _alike," Phantom cried, the violent weather around him reaching a new crescendo. "Even if I can't protect this city, these people…Even if I can't kill Blood…I will not let harm come to her. This is your last chance…_leave_!"

Lightning cracked behind him, punctuating the order.

Plasmius sighed dramatically. "I suppose we've come to the end of our little chat then. If you won't come quietly, then…"

_Snick!_

The supernaturally loud sound of Vlad's thumb and forefinger snapping was all the warning Phantom had before the brewing storm around him was sliced in twain by a flaming sword alight with terror incarnate. Danny recognized immediately the Soul Shredder and its wielder, the Fright Knight, atop the black-winged mount he rode. An arc of green energy flew free from the sword even as Phantom dodged the oncoming attack. The next few seconds were a blur of speed, attack, and defense that left echoes of thunder-like sound trumpeting across the sky.

The Soul Shredder slashed.

Danny dived, missing the blade by inches.

A high, horse-like cry and fiery hooves stamped at the ghost teen.

Blocking with an arm, the impact knocked Danny backwards.

"Foolish whelp! You may have bested me before, but your pestering of my master ends today!" The Fright Knight's yell was punctuated with a spray of green energy, small blasts that rained down on Phantom.

Danny snarled in response, his eyes glowing an even brighter crimson as he hastily erected a shield and retreated into Blood's mind control. What Vlad had said had _hurt_, despite his words to the contrary, and the red haze focused his attention in a way he desperately needed if he wanted to win this battle. Feeling his emotions, his sense of right and wrong, even his very morality, fall away in that miasma of bloodlust and purpose. Lightning, pure and white, flew from his fist, prompting a primal flush of pleasure and a sadistic flash of satisfaction.

Phantom's retaliatory strike flew true, engulfing the Fright Knight and his steed.

An instant later, the electric bolts snapped off as Phantom was forced to disengage by a sudden assault by _both_ Walker _and_ Vlad. With his offensive stopped cold, the Fright Knight gave a snarl of rage and pushed closer.

Walker's beam…

Vlad's blast…

Crimson eyes narrowed in concentration as sweat formed on his white brow, two massive shafts of energy spearing the sky and breaking against his shield. The Fright Knight on his opposing side, charging full-speed. The haze of red burned ever-brighter, seeming to be two miniature dying stars in the ghost teen's eyes. Phantom felt Blood in his mind, pushing_pushing__**pushing…**_

A scream of rage and violation ripped free from his throat as the foreign presence within him _forced_ his body to respond, feeding information into his brain, his nerves, his muscles…his right hand grasped the sword strapped to his back of its own accord. Instantly, the blade was hefted with all the air of a seasoned swordsman, the shimmering metal reflecting the firestorm around them…and with a sky-shattering eruption of sound that _tore_ at the air around them, Phantom's sword and the Soul Shredder met.

Forcing as much power into the sword as he physically _could_, an arctic gale seemingly froze their bodies in place. Sparks flickered along the contact points of the supernatural blades as they each fought for supremacy. Behind the Knight's mask, though, featureless green orbs shot wide in disbelief. The moment snapped in twain as Phantom slid to the left, releasing his shield as he did and allowing the cascade of rushing power to overcome the Fright Knight. Grasping the hilt of his sword, the teen ghost relaxed a minute amount, even as he realized the full portent of his 'master's' brief assault.

Blood was watching…

And he wouldn't let Danny die so easily.

With eerie ease, Phantom pivoted the blade and almost absently deflected another set of bolts from Vlad and Walker. Suddenly wary, all combatants pause to reconsider their foes; the Fright Knight, though, his eyes looked nowhere but the sword held in Danny's hands.

"I _know_ that blade!" The spirit of Halloween practically _hissed_. "I will know where you came by that weapon, whelp, when it should be rusting in a cliff face half a world away!"

"I don't have anything more to say to any of you," Phantom said, Blood's control now fully re-exerted, forcing him to cut off the question half-formed on his lips. "Fight, flee, or die…you will leave this place regardless of your choice."

"Then I'll wring an answer from you," Fright Knight sneered, inwardly cursing at the sight of that _damn_ sword come back to haunt him once again. There would be a reckoning for the whelp, he swore! To the Kngiht's left, Vlad narrowed his gaze on the blade…for the Fright Knight to be so disturbed…ah well, a mere sword (even if it could match the Soul Shredder) wouldn't make a difference in the battle, and he would have plenty of time later to examine it. Walker's pale, featureless, face betrayed none of his thoughts on the matter, if he had any.

"You may try," Phantom stated, his face impassive.

The ghost teen expertly swung the blade, bringing the flat of the steel on his back as it glowed with an arctic chill. Seemingly from nowhere, a pink-purple blast detonated against a shield of intense blue energy. Phantom snorted, an eyebrow raised mockingly at Vlad, before fading out of the visible spectrum. The vampiric ghost swore colorfully, his hand clenching spasmodically as all three ghosts looked around for their prey. The teen had detected his clone, determined where it was going to attack from, and _blocked_ said attack without a single backwards glance…

How had he gotten so good so _fast_?

A startled cry preempted his duplicate's destruction…the copy sliced in twain through the gut by something that could cut even _ghosts_. Vlad snarled and, immediately, threw a wide-range blast, the arc of energy splitting as it came in contact with a shield of energy. Without prompting, both Walker and the Fright Knight charged, violent ectoplasm coalescing around their hands. Instead of holding the barrier, though, the attacking ghosts were able to move through the shield as if through water…finding nothing on the other side…

Which was Vlad's first warning that something was horribly wrong.

Elbow to the left kidney.

Something hard…the sword hilt, most likely, jabbing in the upper spine.

White glove, reaching out…the sound of his arm breaking.

And _pain_, such that he hadn't felt in a long time, before he could break away.

Phantom's red_red__**red**_ eyes and a smirk that absolutely _was not_ his own, moving forward, moving to match the Fright Knight and Walker. The teen ghost blocked the Soul Shredder, slamming his left fist into Walker's face even as the Fright Knight's gauntlet-covered fist caught him in the gut. Even as unnecessary air rushed out of his spectral lungs, Phantom swung both of their blades wide, throwing the Knight's guard open before reversing his grip and thrusting the pommel upwards and catching the Knight's helm.

A burst of magenta energy exploded into Phantom's back, red eyes widening as Walker caught his own uncontrolled fall and let out a similarly violent blast of verdant green light, regardless of the Fright Knight's proximity. In a move of desperation, the blade came up, the flowing steel seeming completely natural in his hand as it deflected the ectoplasm. Phantom snarled, spinning to where Vlad had recovered, magenta energy covering his broken arm as it slowly and gruesomely righted itself. Disregarding the teen ghost's wide red eyes, Vlad sneered, "Ah Daniel, you didn't perhaps think you'd seen all of my little tricks, did you? As I've said before…you have barely two years worth of experience, I have more than _ten times_ that!"

Phantom snorted, despite the debilitating-looking condition, "Did _you_ know, Vlad, that there's a saying at my school…youthful enthusiasm will never win out over the wisdom and menace that old age brings?"

Vlad grinned, "Well now, Daniel, it seems like you're admitting defeat-"

"It's too bad for you that I have _both_," Phantom stated, his form dissipating in a wisp of ectoplasm. The vampiric ghost's eyes widened as he spun, intent on finding the prey that had suddenly vanished.

"_Burn_."

All three ghosts froze, the voice coming from above them was harsh with rage, light and shadows suddenly playing across their bodies. While the Fright Knight screamed in impotent rage, Walker formed a defensive shield around himself as he feared the worst, Vlad spat out one word in a wrathful fit of spite. "Oh, Butternuts!"

Directly above the three, Phantom let loose one of the large strikes of lightning he'd ever formed, the blinding electric glare flashing with the promise of immense pain. The torrents of electricity coursed through the sky, flaring in the air with flashes of light, then sparks, then a massive explosion of combustion, an enormous fireball erupted in the skies above Jump City…

* * *

Raven's eyes flashed white as the shadows lashed out in a torrent of darkness. After so many failed attempts, the psionic black magic wrapped around the offending ghost, holding him in place. Technus snarled as he tugged against the unforgiving bindings around him. "Not Cool!" The tech-spirit cried. "This is most uh-hip you little wiper-snappers!"

"Would you just shut the _fuck_ up!" Jinx screamed, loosing the charged-up hex blast point-blank into the ghost.

The pink energy flashed brightly once as it played across Technus' metallic skin like static electricity. The ghost froze, then his body twitched horribly, out of his control for several seconds, before the convulsions receded and Technus lay groaning and unconscious. There was a long moment of silence as the Titan and the HIVE member stared at their captured prey, breathing harshly and glaring at the fallen ghost. Both finally turned to the other, suddenly wary once again.

"My friends need help," Raven stated, her tone challenging. "And so yours."

Jinx snorted, her casual dismissal masking the worry and concern in her eyes, "Kyd and Wulf can take care of themselves. I need to go rescue Phantom."

"Rescue Phantom?" Raven asked, casually floating back several feet in case it came to a fight. Jinx's own fingers tightened into fists at the suspicion inherent in Raven's posture. Above them, the wind spiraled with a foul temper, loud and hateful in their ears. As lightning struck, both their eyes were drawn up the violence being committed in the storm-wrought air over the city.

"Shit!" Jinx spat, her gaze locked on the small figures dueling with multi-colored energy. "Danny, you ass! How the _hell_ am I supposed to help you now? I can't fly!" The pink witch's voice was pained and angry, fluctuating between irritation and desperation.

Raven's eyes widened at the amount of energy being thrown around so casually. Granted, she was at the higher end of the supernatural spectrum herself, but it wasn't every day that _legends_ like the Fright Knight decided to wage a miniature war in your city. The vampiric ghost looked vaguely familiar as well…

"Who are they?" Raven asked, pressing the desperate-looking witch for another piece of Phantom's puzzle.

"They're here for Danny!" Jinx replied, holding her head in her hands, shocking Raven with how vulnerable she appeared. The transition between battle-ready villain and unsure teenager was startling to behold. "Everyone's always here for Danny, even though he's the only one here for me! I don't want Danny to leave! Blood's tried to take him, these freaks have tried to take him…" The dark Titan bit her lip nervously before moving to Jinx's side, her hand awkwardly patting the witch's back. The sobs that wracked the pink-haired girl were unnerving to Raven, shattering her long-held image of the imperturbable thief, the leering joker…

"Raven?" Jinx whispered, the heroine blinking at being addressed for the first time. Watery pink eyes stared up at her, desperation easily apparent in them. "Save Danny for me, please?"

Raven rocked back on her heals (metaphorically speaking as she was actually floating), something like shock in her startled gaze. "What?"

"Save him," Jinx repeated pathetically. "You…if anyone can do it, you can! Danny's got this thing on his neck, Brother Blood, the guy who took over the HIVE, is controlling him through it! Please, if you can save him, I'll do anything! I'll-I'll turn myself in, I tell you anything about the HIVE you want to know!"

Raven's mouth gaped, and only partially at the offer of Jinx betraying her organization. The half-demon's mind whirred at the witch's assertion that Phantom, the villain Robin had lately been obsessed with, was being _controlled_. Everything they had observed the ghost-teen do, which some of it was admittedly strange, was a result of someone _else's_ actions? Their leader had been right after all, and this entire disaster…

Was likely a result of _that person's _actions.

Raven floated higher in preparation for a takeoff. "I'll go help Phantom," she said, fixing the witch with her harshest stare. "You had better be here when I get back, Jinx…I have a _lot_ of questions I need answers to…so does Robin for that matter."

Jinx nodded, rising to steady herself on her feet and wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'll be here. I wouldn't desert Danny after everything he's done for me."

"Help my friends," Raven ordered, her cloak flapping behind her as her black form surged forward and upwards towards the miniature sun suddenly forming in the sky. Irritation, worry, adrenaline-fueled excitement, and a host of other emotions surged through her, only to be crushed by her iron will as she observed the continuing fight. Even with the massive-scale conflict beneath them right now, the deciding factor was most likely the battle above the city. Phantom was the linchpin in this and she didn't need psychic intuition to tell her that.

* * *

As much as she hated Vlad, the man she had once called 'father,' she still appreciated the stabilizing booster he'd given her. Her creator had explained that it wouldn't permanently fix her corrupting DNA, but it would allow him to prolong her existence enough to serve as suitable prey for Skulker. At that point, she didn't think she could have hated Vlad more, but he'd proven her wrong on even _that_ point!

Her breathing was harsh as she caught her second wind streaking over the Mid-western states. She had hit Colorado just a few minutes ago, and should be very close to California, if memory…and her body held true. Ectoplasm surged brighter in the sky as Dani Phantom flew onwards, intent on finding Plasmius…

And making him pay for threatening the only person who'd ever…

Looked on her as something more than an imitation, a fake...including herself.

Danny had saved her life, now it was time to return the favor.

* * *

Alright, another chapter down and, hey, everyone can stop asking when Dani's getting some screen time.

Yes, starting next chapter, Dani Phantom/Danielle Fenton will be a much bigger character...especially in the sequel. And, yes, I'm STILL planning to do the sequel. This fic only has...uh, maybe 5 chapters left to it, so as soon as I get those done, I can move into the next plot arch. Unfortunately, since I'm due to start student teaching next week, I'm really unsure of what time-line I'm going to have for those releases. Also, I would like to apologize for the rude tone of my author's note in the last chapter, but I got really annoyed reading all of the 'you're going to quit, I just know it!' reviews that so many people sent in.

On another note, Danny's sword, yes you got to see that too, and yes, it is a special sword. Is it the sword so many people have been asking about? Eh...more no than yes. It IS famous, it IS ancient, but its not Excalibur. Feel free to guess as to it's real identity if you REALLY want to. Hmm, I don't really have any other news for you guys beyond the fact that should anyone feel like contacting me and bitching me out on a personal level, my E-mail is visible, but I don't really like the PM system uses, so I locked that.

Anyway, Slayer Out.


	18. The End of the Matter

Slayer Anderson

Hive-Minded XVII

A Teen Titans/Danny Phantom Crossover

* * *

Chapter 17-Which Side Am I On Again?

Or

The War of Strange Bedfellows

* * *

If you want a music track for this chapter, I'd recommend 'New Divide' by Linkin' Park, 'Enter Sandman' by Metallica, 'I Walk Alone' by Greenday, and, if you like him, 'God's Gonna' Cut You Down' by Johnny Cash. Just recommendations, mind you.

* * *

People become famous for the strangest reasons.

Some are famous for murder. Gavrilo Princip, for instance, is famous for nothing more than the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which, in turn, instigated what is today known as WW1. Other members of society become famous for signing songs, doing something completely irrational, or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or, rather, some become famous for being at the _right_ place at the _right_ time. A man named Dan Rather was given his 'big break' when he became one of the reporters central to the spread of global news about the Kennedy assassination. One of the largest boosts a career report can receive to his or her stature in the profession is to be _the_ reporter, on scene, at a major tragedy.

Harriet Chin had just received her big break.

Life had not been…easy after her disastrous decision to take the 'Wisconsin Ghost' story public. She'd been laughed out of the Milwaukie Press and taken a position of desperation in a relatively small metropolis on the other side of the continent from Amity Park. After the 'Ghost Invasion' incident, which she was a coincidental witness to, it had seemed like the best thing to do was to get as far away from that mad house of a town as possible. Jump City had a rash of costumed vigilantism lately, but it hadn't _really _worried her. After all, no one would laugh at you for reporting on a half-lizard super-villain that preferred to steal things that began with the letter 'Z,' but say _one word_ about ghosts and…

So, maybe she was a little bitter about the whole 'getting fired' thing.

You probably would be too.

But-but! She was finally back on the next biggest scoop! After all, how many reporters actually had a whole flippin' _war_ break out while they're on their way to cover a story about the mayor's birthday.

"How's this for a headline," Harriet muttered sarcastically, "Sappy human interest story turns into Jump City War!"

"I'd say it's pretty good, boss," Alex Reed, her cameraman, grunted as they squirmed along the ground. "Still, could we please save the sarcasm for when we're _not_ in the middle of a firefight?"

"And the guys at the station say you don't have a sense of humor," Harriet snickered.

"Only for you, boss, only for you," Alex smiled. "What's say we get rolling?"

A particularly bright flash of light-_an energy blast?_-flew by their position, making them wince and flinch. Harriet's face twisted, her nose wrinkling as the acrid smell of ozone wafted over them "As good a time as any, I suppose...though I'm surprised you're so gung-ho for this."

"Used to be a war correspondent. Did a run around Irag-both times-and a few other hot-spots. Kinda' thought there'd be less of this…back in the states. Still, ready when you are," Alex affirmed, hefting his camera onto his shoulder, but not rising from his prone position on the ground. Affixing the eyepiece, he turned on the autofocus and placed his finger, hovering, over the red record button.

"Alright," Harriet stated, resolutely ignoring the sounds of screams and explosions around them. She held up three fingers. "Going Live in…three, two, one-"

As her fingers folded inward, Alex nodded in time with her, depressing the button on the final count. "Harriet Chin here, correspondent for Channel 6 News, in what used to be a busy waterfront section of our fair city. Earlier today, this area was rocked by an explosion of incredible magnitude. As of yet, no one seems to have any idea exactly _what_ caused this explosion, though it is curious to note the first responders were apparently a group of white-suited government agents known as the 'Guys in White.' Behind me, you can see several of them doing battle with being cloaked in green energy…"

Alex gave her a thumbs up and panned the camera up and over, focusing in on the white-clothed men and their section of the miniature war surrounding them. A small group had hunkered down not a hundred feet from their position and were concentrating fire on another group of…of…whatever those things were. Both were armed with futuristic-looking weaponry that fired intense blasts of light. He allowed the camera to take in that view for a mental count of ten before moving back to Harriet.

"…As you can see, these government agents are currently embarked in battle against…spectral figures. For those of you who do not know, the Guys in White are billed as a paranormal research and combat division of Federal Law Enforcement. The exact specifics of their mission are unknown as their itemized budget requests, more than 1 billion dollars last year, are firmly under the president's black ops programs."

Alex _stared_, more than slightly unnerved by the amount of information his boss was pulling out of seemingly nowhere. What he didn't know, _couldn't_ have known, was that Harriet had done more than her fair share of background research after her tenure in Amity Park…eventually discovering exactly _where_ the pressure to fire her had come from. Now, though, she had the _perfect_ opportunity to place the axe she'd been grinding for almost a year right into the heart of the Guys in White.

"It's also worth noting that the Guys in White responded so quickly as to be on location _before_ the explosion…though it was only _after_ the explosion in question that any supernatural or paranormal being showed themselves. One of the greatest targets of the Guys in White, the famous fugitive meta-human Danny Phantom has been sighted in the city as well, leading this reporter to speculate whether the government agents knowingly placed these explosives with the intent of drawing a criminal out of hiding?"

Alex refrained from whistling lowly. She was really breathing fire today.

"Whatever the intentions of the bombers, local law enforcement and emergency services are now embroiled in a conflict with the Guys in White, the green-tinged attackers, and a third party which appears to be an amalgam of super-powered teens. It is unknown, exactly, who these people are, at this time."

Harriet gestured off-camera and Alex panned towards another one of the battles, highlighting the participants. The costumes of the assembled few bore no real relation to each other…in fact, the only reason Harriet had been able to tell that they were on the same side (beyond the fact that they didn't seem to overtly target each other) was the fact that there was no other believable way for there to be _that many_ meta-humans in the same place at the same time.

"And where are the Titans during this? Our city's brave defenders are currently brawling with these massed invaders. Our hearts and minds go out to our local heroes and law enforcement…at this point, no one knows _who_ is going to triumph!"

* * *

Even as she was tossed and tussled by the stormy winds, Raven had to admit, Phantom was an amazing fighter. Though, given recent revelations, she wondered how much of that was natural talent, how much was training, and how much was Blood's influence. Intellectually, she knew that his actions until now had always been those of the least violent villain they'd ever faced and, as exemplified by their battles with him…also one of the strongest. The sheer diversity of his powers, if nothing else, promised that he would be a challenge even on their best day.

But what she saw now, in the skies above Jump City…

_Lances_ of ice and lightning cascaded off his sword, striking against the Black Knight's own venomously glowing blade. Explosions of eerie green, acid magenta, and chilling blue shattered the calm air above the city, whipping the currents into a frenzy. Even as she went higher, though, she could feel herself entering into a crucible of supernatural forces. Fear, pain, anger, sorrow…emotions were practically _drowning _her shields, making her mind feel heavy and sluggish.

She barely raised the black wall of energy in time.

Lightning and ectoplasm clashed against her defenses, snapping and biting at her like a living thing. Finally, after a small eternity of battling wills, the attack broke against her shields. Raven stared, sweat beading her brow…that hadn't been a normal elemental attack. Normal ice, lightning, or any telekinetic application of elemental power, they were just that, _applications of that _person's _power_. Whatever Phantom was using…it was _real_ in a way that meant he was _bending nature to his will_.

"You shouldn't be here."

Raven spun, coming face to face with…Phantom?

"Your mind must be under considerable strain. Duplication couldn't be easy under the most relaxed of circumstances," Raven responded, trying to hide just how unnerved she was. The mental discipline necessary to trade blow with three _other_ opponents _as well as _maintain a duplicate. Still, the thing that most frightened her about Phantom wasn't his abilities…no, it was his horrible red eyes that were boring into her.

Phantom's duplicate frowned in concentration. "You shouldn't be here," he repeated.

"Jinx told me about the mind control," Raven said bravely. "I'm here to help you. You need to give yourself up, the Titans can-"

"-_Help_?" Phantom mocked, his voice harsh. "I have orders, Titan…you should not have tried to interfere. For what it's worth…I'm sorry."

The clone drove it's copied sword forward, halting an inch from Raven as _something_ flickered in it's eyes, cold blue lightning jumping and arching off the blade. Violet eyes wide, Raven watched as an epic inner struggle raged beneath the monochromatic exterior of the ghost. Ectoplasmic green warred with angry red, the two fighting for dominance even as the blade quivered on the edge of Raven's skin. The conflict was so great, even Phantom's normally sure and tight grip was shaking like a leaf.

"I-I won't…I _won't_-Run!"

Raven flinched as Phantom's head snapped up, his eyes a wild desperate mix of green and red. She only saw a flash of that horrible conflict before the clone flipped the blade inhumanly fast and rammed it into it's _own_ stomach, dispersing in a cloud of cool ectoplasm. The Gothic Titan was stunned by act of self-sacrifice. Whatever the specifics of Phantom's duplication ability, that memory would most likely resurface in his own mind…the willpower to knowingly do that to _yourself_ was frighteningly intense. And the blade…

Her breath caught in her throat.

_Oh Dear Goddess…_

If that had been the blade from the museum, but…what-how? If that was _the_ sword…he'd have to be… What _was_ Phantom? If he could not only _use_ that sword, but actually _restore_ it? The steel he held wasn't something of legendary fame like the Excalibur, but it was close kin. It was the Blade of Endurance, the sword that stood against fear and death. The last time it had been seen on the battlefield was well over a thousand years ago…before it disappeared off the face of the earth.

It was Durendal.

The sword of saints, dead men, and martyrs.

That told her everything she needed to know, except...

What _was _Phantom?

"AZARATH METRION ZINTHOS!"

A _lance_ of corporeal black psionic power shot through the sky, impacting solidly against the Fright Knight's back. The blow took the Knight completely by surprise, throwing him forward into an icy blast from the white-clad Phantom. Vlad immediately whirled on Phantom vulnerable back, a fierce strike of magenta energy hitting home as the weathered and beaten Walker added a blast of his own for good measure. A corona of black energy wreathed Phantom as he spiraled backwards in an awkward dive, shielding him from a volley of ecto-blasts. Raven herself stepped out of the pool of darkness a split-second later, her face set in coldest stone.

"You dare!" The Fright Knight cried, "Do you have any idea who you face, child?"

"I know enough," Raven affirmed. "I know the name of his blade…and I know who you are, _Spirit of Fear_, _Ghost of a Dead God_."

The Knight reared back as if physically struck, his eyes narrowed to pinpricks of green light, then widening in realization. "Demon-spawn…I would be careful to throw insults if I were you."

Red rage flickered beneath Raven's violet orbs, "Compared to the horrors I know, you are little more than a passing nightmare, _ghost_."

Danny, Vlad, and Walker were, for once, in complete agreement…and complete confusion. There was _plenty_ of subtext, but none knew exactly what any of it meant or the implied references. Danny's tattered form moved up to float beside Raven, his eyes still painfully red as he studied her. Within the confines of his orders, he decided Raven wasn't a threat right now…he'd need all the help he could get if he wanted to get out of here alive…in a manner of speaking.

"You should have run," Phantom rebuked lightly, his tone still mechanically blank. "You know too much…I'll be forced to come after you when I'm done with them."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Raven deflected, her eyes never leaving her enemies.

"Fine," Phantom stated, lunging forward and into battle once again.

The Soul Shredder and Durendal met once again, sparks flying as ice and fear incarnate exploded into existence. Raising his right hand from the double-grip on the blade, he forced a shield into existence from his waning energy supplies. He winced as Vlad's blast almost penetrated…he needed to end this as quickly as possible. A surge of ebon energy pitched Vlad backwards as Raven watched his blindside. Almost absently, Phantom summoned up the rage and anger, lightning lancing down from above and narrowly missing Walker.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

And the fight continued.

* * *

Jinx had been tutored in martial arts by numerous individuals; among these teachers were thieves, career fighters, and, in one notable instance, a member of the League of Assassins. Each lesson had emphasized control, coolness of mind, and the power of calm emotions. She had lived by a code of personal distance, separating herself from 'attachment' and 'infatuation.' If her tutors could see her now, they would concur in a singular opinion of the fighting style she was displaying…

It was shameful.

She was angry, afraid, _pissed_, worried, _**enraged**__, _horrified, and _**livid**_.

She didn't bother to hide it. Didn't bother to control it. Jinx fed every emotion, burning them for fuel as she spread probability curses like water, showering the ghosts in bad luck. _Of course, 'bad luck,' was putting it a little lightly_, she thought with dark pleasure as Technus' remaining tentacles exploded along with Ember's guitar and Skulker's suit, _it was more like catastrophic luck_.

Granted, she wasn't restricting herself to _mere_ magic, she was also loosing volley after volley of kicks and punches on the three ghosts, leaving the Titans utterly astonished at the sheer _viciousness_ of the assault. Even Kyd Wykkyd felt compelled to cower slightly when the pinkette landed a particularly mean-spirited (no pun intended) kick between Skulker's legs. In her mad rage, it didn't even matter that Technus had long since been rendered unconscious.

"Jinx!" Robin gasped, trying to grab hold of the villainess. "Stop! They've had it! We'll take them in!"

"They're _dead_!" Jinx spat, wriggling in Robin's full-nelson hold, tears still in her eyes. "It's not like I can kill them _again_, but I'll sure as Hell _try!_"

"At least start taking out other targets," Robin pleaded, unable to believe that he was actually trying to talk sense into the girl. Thankfully Raven had managed to appraise him of the full situation as she was flying to help Phantom...and he was willing to take her word on faith until he could corroborate Jinx's testimony. "They're _done_."

All the fight fled Jinx's body at that pronouncement, her body going limp as a noodle in his grasp. Soft sobbing could be heard as he lowered her to the roof. She was crying nonsense under her breath. Things like, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry…I don't care, I just want him back…I don't care about the HIVE, just him…_please_-"

The Titans and the one remaining former(?) HIVE member traded uneasy and uncomfortable glances. Swallowing his guilt and regret, Robin shook Jinx, forcing her to make eye contact, "Jinx…I know you're frustrated, I am too, but I trust Raven to help Phantom. Neither of us can be up there, even if we badly want to. If Phantom is the kind of person you think he is…he'd want you to help these people. Can you pull yourself together…for him?"

Robin was rather proud of himself for bringing up that particular chain of logic. Granted, right now he was somewhat terrified of the petite girl he'd just seen _take_ _apart_ three formidable enemies, but he needed to know if she could be trusted. She had the training, the temperament, and the motivation to seriously hamper their efforts to get this situation under control. He _had to know_ if he could count her as an ally (temporarily, at least) in this world gone mad.

Or he needed to leave her here, tied up and ready for a police pick-up.

Jinx breathed deeply, wiped her eyes, and nodded, pulling herself together as best she could. She was still angry and worried, but it burned slowly within her now, not violently. Reaching down _deep_ within her, she focused on the ghost that had become the center of her world and committed herself to this new course of action. She'd do what Danny couldn't do. She'd make him proud and when (not if, _never_ if) the Titans got him back…

She'd always cursed their ability to pull through a win against the direst of odds.

Now, she prayed dearly for yet another miracle.

"I'll do it," Jinx agreed.

Robin relaxed slightly before looking at Kyd Wykkyd and Wulf, "What about you two?"

'Those two' traded glances. Wykkyd looked Robin in the eye and tapped his chest, pointing at the pinkette. Wulf nodded once, he would protect his friend's mate. Though not spoken, the message was clear…wherever Jinx went, they went. Robin fixed them with a wary gaze, then nodded to himself. Turning to the rest of his team, he spoke. "Okay, we're seriously outnumbered here, Titans. We need backup and we don't have it…Jinx and Wykkyd are members of the HIVE, don't forget that, but consider them honorary Titans for the remainder of this mission. Our goals are to subdue and defeat those guys in the white suits and the green meta-humans and assist any police as necessary. Starfire, you and I are sticking with Jinx to prevent any misunderstandings (_and because I don't trust them_, he thought) with law enforcement. Beast Boy, try to stick with…Wulf?-right, with Wulf since you can communicate. Cyborg, stick with Wykkyd…remember, he's on our side right now. Watch your backs, people! Titans, Go!"

The respective groups leapt from the rooftop, bounding into the heat of battle. Almost immediately, the three embattled groups honed in on the Titans…the HIVE and Walker's goons had been briefed exhaustively on the Titans and the Guys in White…well, uh…

* * *

"Agent Theta, do have target acquisition?" Agent Zeta cried over the roar of the ecto-guns. The soot being kicked up would be horrible on his suit later, but that wasn't a concern for the moment.

"Sir, yes sir!" Theta yelled, "I've got that ghost werewolf and a green shape-shifter! Damn, he's a bear now! Crap, a walrus…man, look at that freak go!"

"Enough, Theta," Zeta ordered, "Open fire as ready, send those spooks back to the graveyard!"

"Yes sir!"

* * *

"Alpha, sir…two of our squads have been wiped out! We've got reports of an orange-skinned ghosts throwing super-powerful ecto-blasts around! None of our shielding is working! There's this other ghost too, she's barely registering on our ecto-meters, but she's bad luck…just like Johnny 13's shadow! We're getting hammered, sir!"

Agent Alpha's gloved palm struck the younger man across the face.

"Pull yourself together, soldier! We're this world's last line of defense against the spectral menace! We need you here, now, fighting!" Alpha yelled in his face. "Send squads 5 &11 to intersect them. Do we have the heavy artillery in to reach the Fright Knight, Phantom, and Plasmius yet?"

"Ah…n-no sir!" The agent replied, visibly calming from the reassurance. "The Exorcist is on it's way, though. We had to confiscate it from one of Luthor's labs, though."

"Good," Alpha nodded. "How are we on other situations?"

"Well…we've established that some of the meta-humans are not, in fact, possessed, but still seem to be in league with the ghosts. It's madness, sir!"

"Agreed," Alpha growled, his eyes hard as he looked over his men's dirty suits and ash stained clothing. "Take the meta's down as well…hard and permanently if necessary, I want this field clear for The Exorcist when it gets here."

"Yes sir," The agent replied, recognizing the dismissal for what it was and scampering off to fulfill his orders.

Alpha was silent as he gazed over the battlefield for another long moment before shifting his eyes skyward. His face might as well have been made of stone when it took in the embattled vampiric ghost. Subconsciously, his right hand rubbed at the scarred ecto-burns that rested underneath his shirt. He'd expected Phantom, maybe Clockwork…that was the whole point of this Operation. Still, Phantom, the Fright Knight, Walker, and Plasmius were more than a mere consolation prize.

If he was lucky, their vendetta might finally end today.

* * *

Cyborg turned, his eyes widening as a seeming _wall_ of ecto-gun barrels met him head on. There was a moment of horrible silence in which the metal-teen's life flashed before his eyes as he prepared for the end. The quick whine of the electrical-powered ecto-cannons charging drowned out any battle yell he might have uttered, bringing his own sonic weapon to bear on the forces arrayed before him, before…

A second of blackness, then he-_they_ were away, Wykkyd crouched next to him in a pool of shadow. Below them, Cyborg watched as the space he'd been standing in a moment before was utterly vaporized. He looked with wide eyes to Wykkyd, who was wearing a jester's grin. Suddenly inspired, Cyborg leveled his right hand-cannon, his trademark phrase already on his lips…

"BOOYA! You KKK rejects ain't gonna' get this brother!"

One of the agents looked up, saw the technologically powered teen soaked in ectoplasm from his previous ghostly quarrels, and came to the only conclusion a reasonable, sane human being could possibly come to…if he was employed by the Guys In White.

"Look, he's using outdated pop culture language, he's half robot, and he's just phased through the building! I told you guys, he's Technus!" The younger agent shouted, pointing at Cyborg.

"And, hey! That thing next to him must be a ghost! No meta-human's that creepy!" Another yelled.

Cyborg and Wykkyd _stared_.

"Get 'em!" A third G.I.W. yelled bravely, hoisting his gun skyward.

"Oh…crap," Cyborg muttered.

Kyd silently concurred.

* * *

Still, Robin had been wrong about one thing.

The crisis in Jump City had been noticed, and even now, reinforcements were arriving. The massive warzone which now encompassed most of the downtown city was an enormous scar of scorched Earth, burned out buildings, and wounded or dying people…and such a thing wasn't exactly _hard_ to notice. By this point, the proverbial cavalry had rallied.

Oh and the Justice League were nearly there, too.

"Uh…sir?"

"Yes private?" The thick Austrian accent responded.

"Are you…_sure_…that this is okay?"

"Of course," The man said thickly. "I have already filled out all the papers."

"And they were approved?" The man asked, alarmed.

"I already filled out all the paperwork," The Austrian accent stated again, calmly and mechanically.

The private stared at the Governor of California for a long moment, before deciding it was better not to argue. Maybe he'd finally lost it? Maybe this was all a horrible, horrible dream? Still, he concentrated on driving the Fox Armored Car that the governor had 'requisitioned' from a local military base. No, he wouldn't argue with Arnold 'The Governator' Schwarzenegger…after all, worst case scenario was that this _was_ all real and he could write a best selling tell-all book after the bullets stopped flying.

Maybe Oprah would put one of those stickers on it.

When all was said and done, though, he nearly had a heart attack when more than six feet of Austrian bodybuilder threw back the hatch of the armored car and lifted a Pancor Jackhammer from beneath him…the fact that he was wearing military fatigue pants, no shirt, complete with cross-tied belts of ammunition didn't really help. The driver tried to ignore everything...the nutcase of a governor he had riding shotgun, the battle going on around them, and the fact that he was driving into a crowd of people that could crush this armored car like a tin can.

"It's all a dream. It's all a dream. It's all a 'salladreamIt'salladream It'salladreamIt'salladream_It'salladream!_"

* * *

The Javelin XII, one of a series of the Justice League's trademark craft, dropped into the city's airspace with all the grace of an Olympic diver, projecting an air of majesty not unlike an angel descending from on high. The combination air-space ship was carrying three superheroes who'd already been battle-tested enough to mark them as near as elites as they could get without being one of the legendary founding members. Supergirl _stared _at the monitors, momentarily taken aback by just how bad the situation had gotten. For a modern-day city in America, one of the wealthiest nations of the world, to look like a complete warzone…

"You're _kidding_," Stargirl whispered.

"I wish I was," Supergirl replied, shaking her head.

"No time like the present, ladies," Plasticman interrupted.

"Right," Supergirl nodded, fingers dancing across the keyboard. "I've set the Javelin to hover and cloak, it should be fine up here. Plasticman, can you get down alright?"

The ductile detective snorted and dropped through the hanger bay doors, morphing his body into a spring as he fell. Stargirl and Supergirl traded exasperated looks and followed suit. The air was choked with ash and snow kicked up from the still-smoldering fires and forming cyclonic weather.

"Does this seem like the normal climate for sunny California?" Stargirl yelled over the blustering winds.

"I'm betting on a weather-controller," Supergirl cried back.

_CRASH!_

A nearly point-blank blast of lightning burst into existence right beside the two heroines, startlingly them badly. Still, the sudden glare through the mid-air fight into stark focus. They'd been about to sweep right past the quarreling figures; the storm brewing above Jump City was almost blinding in its intensity. Another flash of light illuminated the fighters, though this wasn't a natural light…the blue-green flash was the meeting of two blades, each screaming energy into the atmosphere around them. In that flash, though, the two heroines got a much clearer picture of the ongoing battle. The one wielding the blue blade had been, obviously, one of the most-wanted felons currently at large in the United States. At his back, a cloud of impenetrable dark energy fluxed and struck at random intervals, weathering the bombardment of magenta and emerald energy being thrown by a vampire-lookalike and a well-dressed man in a tattered white suit.

"Who's Phantom's friend?" Stargirl yelled.

"Can't see," Stargirl replied loudly. At her friend's strange look, she elaborated, "Magic…supervision can't see through magic!"

"You think those are local heroes thrashing it out with them?" Stargirl asked, hesitating at the unknown faces.

"Gotta' be," Supergirl nodded. "Might be friends of the Titans…they're the locals!"

"Think we ought to go 'say hi,'" Stargirl smirked, hefting the golden staff that was her trademark.

"I was thinking the same thing!" Supergirl grinned, shooting towards the fight.

Neither knew what they would be getting into.

And neither saw the black and white streak of a figure closing in from the outskirts of the city.

* * *

Raven swept a shield in front of Phantom and herself, blocking the latest volley of energy fire from their foes. Phantom growled lowly next to her, his eyes a flaming and horrible _red_ as ice and lightning wrapped itself around his left hand. The Gothic Titan dropped the shield and Phantom let loose the full force of the angry strike, arctic winds and a miniature bolt of lightning leaping at Vlad.

Plasmius took the blast full-force, the noir wall of energy having blocked it from direct sight. The older halfa was blown back, freeing up Phantom's attention to focus on his bladework, meeting the Fright Knight head on once again. The metallic _clang _of their blades echoed strangely against even the loudest of the howling winds.

Meanwhile, Raven's power coalesced into her fist as she moved to close range with Walker. The ghost warden scowled as he threw up a hasty shield, his energy reserves waning after the seemingly endless battles he'd endured today. Raven's fist cracked the translucent green wall on the first blow, her surprise left hook ploughed through the shield, slamming into Walker's gut and blasting him back as well. Sweat beading on her brow, Raven gathered her concentration and began muttered a very different spell. Tendrils of black energy crept away from her, speeding towards Walker and wrapping around him-

-and then two red streams of energy _sliced_ through the arcane mass, breaking the spell in twain.

Raven's levitation visibly stumbled, the mental damage from the broken spell stunning her. The blow ate away at so much of her attention that she never even noticed the follow-up of beam of yellow-gold energy. As quick as a flash, a barrier of ectoplasmic willpower shot out in front of her, shielding her from the brunt of the blast. Phantom exhaled sharply as a freezing gust clouded the air around him, condensing the air to fog in an attempt to retreat for the moment.

Both Raven and Phantom's eyes widened as an enormous gust of wind swept the cloud away, leaving them bare except for the young half-ghost's chilly corona of cold and the half-demon's dark aura, both exotic energies flared in an instinctive attempt to protect their owners.

Around them, Supergirl, Stargirl, Plasmius, Walker, and the Fright Knight all floated with varying degrees of battle-readiness apparent in their stances. Raven and Phantom grimaced tiredly, sweat beading visibly on their faces as each tried to stay airborne. The Gothic Titan's years of hard-won concentration and Danny's warborn stubbornness surged behind confidence and refused to yield for anything short of the apocalypse…

…and in some cases, not even that.

"You looked like you could use some help," Supergirl commented.

"And we are much obliged, ladies," Vlad simpered charmingly…or at least, he thought so.

"Phantom…you've got one chance to surrender or we take you and your friend in by any means necessary," Stargirl cried over the latest gust of wind, her staff glowing ominously.

"You…_morons_!" Raven shouted irritably. "We're the good guys! I'm Raven, of the Teen Titans!"

"And next you're gonna' say that's _not_ Danny Phantom, the wanted criminal, standing next to you," Supergirl snorted.

Raven _gaped._

Phantom's eyes flickered from red to a verdant green clouded over in irritation. "Now you know how _I_ feel," he muttered aside.

The Goth twitched.

_This explains so much about Phantom. If this is as normal an occurrence as he seems to indicate, its no wonder he's on the most-wanted list…he has the _damndest _luck! And that much angry sarcasm just can't be faked…I should know._

"Thanks for the shield, by the way," Raven replied, trying to keep the anxiety out of her voice.

"You're an ally right now," Phantom said, by way of explanation, his voice tense and angry…but not at her. "I wouldn't get used to it…_he_ won't let me get away with it again."

"Understood," Raven nodded, "We need to get away."

"Time's up!" Stargirl yelled, "If you're done talking, I'll suggest surrender again before you do something stupid."

"3." Raven whispered, drawing her aura close.

"2." Phantom nodded, ectoplasm flaring bright as the wind picked up around him in response to his tensing. All around him, their foes readied themselves in kind, Stargirl sweeping her staff up and loosing the beam right at-

"_DANNY!"_

It all happened so fast, so many people reacted, so much was done in the next second that could _never_ be taken back. The black and white streak of Dani Phantom wove between Walker and the Fright Knight, ectoplasm gathering in her palms to raise a shield. The hasty barrier blocked the yellow-gold beam from Stargirl's staff, but not Supergirl's heat vision, fired purely by reflex. The excess energy blasted through Dani's shield and cut into her shoulder, her scream shattering the suddenly quiet sky. The red beams charred her white jacket, boiling blood and burning skin. Ash and snow swirled silently around them as all froze, blank surprise filling each of their faces. Danny was the first to move, catching the younger halfa on instinct alone, his eyes locking with her pain-filled green orbs.

"Danny!" Danielle gasped, tears appearing in her eyes. "Gotta' warn-_Vlad's _gonna'-"

"_Ssssh_," Phantom hushed softly, his hand brushing cool ice against the angry wound. "It's okay Danielle, it's okay. You're gonna' be fine, just rest, just rest."

"Fool girl," Vlad spat, "Now I'll have to-_AAAAAAAAAAHHH!_"

"Shut up," Phantom hissed, his tone venomous and dark, his hand still smoking from the ecto-blast he'd conjured. "You don't get to say _anything_ right now." The ghost-teen passed the now unconscious halfa to Raven, meeting her eyes-_Raven gasped_-which positively _glowed_ with green luminescence. "Take her, fly away, keep her safe. _Go now._"

There was something in his voice that Raven instinctively obeyed, that _demanded_ obedience, a dark shadow formed around her as she disappeared from the group, reemerging hundreds of feet away, still carrying the injured girl. Now flying away at near her top speed, she remembered something that, only moments ago, hadn't seemed all that important-

-Phantom's collar, supposedly the source of the mind control-

-was _cracking.

* * *

_

And the wind began to _roar_.

The apology wasn't even past her lips before Supergirl was flung back by an invisible force. The rest of the assembled villains and the remaining heroine didn't fair much better. What they had seen as a barely visible cloud of green and white glowing energy was now a near-blinding plume of ecto-fire circling his body. Phantom's eyes, for the first time in the fight were alive with something other than passive anger or apathy. No one present knew the significance, not even Vlad _truly_ _knew_, what that meant, but Jinx would be able to tell.

The ice that Phantom used to freeze his emotions…

That cold rage that had pushed him to his limits against the Headmistress, the Titans, and Blood…

It was burning _hotter than the sun now_.

Months of suppressed emotions flooded his conscious mind. Despair at his associations with the villains, happiness at finally finding camaraderie, loyalty to his family and friends, love for Jinx, anger at so many people, frustration and sadness at the public ridicule and hatred…the mere flood quickly became a _tsunami _of emotions frozen from long-past moments of time.

Lightning crashed around him, completely wild.

Hail, rain, snow, stung the combatants, switching randomly between freezing and boiling.

The wind buckled around them, spiraling into storms within storms.

At the center, Phantom floated, eyes alight like a wrathful god hell bent on vengeance. Slowly, _agonizingly_, the cracks in his collar expanded, the restraint crumbling under pressure it was never meant to withstand. Finally, the inevitable came and the collar gave way as the loss and horrible _grief_ of seeing Danielle…a girl he barely knew, but was so close to being _him_…hurt like _that_, trying to protect _him_ after all he'd done…

The collar exploded.

And a Storm of Legend was born.

The Fright Knight was the first to gather his wits, focusing hundreds of years of battle prowess into his sword. A _solid mass_ of air rose to greet his charge, the edge a pure vacuum as the storm literally _picked him up_ and _threw_ him away as negligently as one would a rage doll-if one could throw at Mach 10. Walker was, arguably, both _more_ and _less _unlucky than the spirit of fear simply by being near him and gaining Phantom's attention. No less than three dozen bolts of lightning struck the ghost warden in under a minute, sending the once proud specter tumbling to the ground in an unconscious and uncontrolled freefall.

Next Danny turned his attention to _Vlad_.

"You always thought I was quick to anger."

_Crash!_ Lightning struck the man, stunning him into senselessness.

"You mocked me, you belittled me, you drug out every piece of blackmail you could dig up to get me _mad_."

_Czzzzzzkt!_ His left arm was flash-frozen, the ice rendering it immobile.

"You threatened my friends, my family, my _home_, to get a rise out of me."

Vlad opened his mouth to argue, to explain-

"You tried to kill my father, steel my mother, and make me your toy soldier!"

_Fooosh!_ A blast of air, over three hundred degree, hit his right side, making him cry out in pain.

"Well guess what Vlad?" Phantom asked, ectoplasm coalescing in his palm, "You win. How does it feel? You got your wish…I'm angry. I'm mad. In fact, I'm a little _pissed OFF!_"

It wasn't so much a blast as a solid _beam_ of emerald _power_ that hit Vlad, the diameter of at least a full grown man and hundred of times more potent than his normal attacks. Vlad's scream echoed even in the tumultuous air around them, eventually swept away as the elder halfa was blown multiple _states_ away. Danny exhaled, his breath forming a misty cloud as his turned to Stargirl and Supergirl…both of whom wore expression of shock, awe, and not a little fear. In a heartbeat, they knew they were looking at something beyond what they had fought before. For all the aliens, monsters, elementals, demons, etc…

This was a dead man, cold and implacable, made incarnate before them.

And he wasn't done yet.

"And _you_," Phantom spat. "The _arrogance_ of you heroes! To assume you know better, to assume you know anything at all more than the people you protect! To believe, innately, that you are _worthy_ of protecting them…"

_"You make me sick."_

The only reason Stargirl wasn't seriously injured was because she blocked with her staff. In the space of a blink, Phantom was on her, his hand glowing a blinding ice-blue as it shot forwards. The staff came up on reflex…and Phantom's hand went straight through it. At a temperature of near absolute-zero, the Cosmic Staff shattered into two pieces, Phantom's fist ramming home into her gut. Stunned and immobile, he brought both hand over his head and slammed down as hard as possible.

Her Cosmic Belt, the source of her levitation, would insure she was only bruised and unconscious when she hit the ground. As it was, his preoccupation with Stargirl had allowed Supergirl to finally shake her stupor off and, with a battle cry that could be heard even over Phantom's storm, she launched herself at the ghost that had just taken down her friend. Two fists rammed home against Phantom's chest, throwing him back hundreds of feet. Blindingly bright ectoplasm swept over his chest, knitting ghostly flesh closed and sewing up split organs.

He didn't exactly need a heart, liver, or lungs right now, but he'd be thankful later.

Phantom halted his uncontrolled tumbled and slammed a right hook into Supergirl's face that could shatter concrete. A left jab and another right hook later, the blonde kryptonian jammed her knee into his gut, knocking him away again. Heat beams soon followed, the red energy missing widely and only serving to enrage the ghost further.

The force of all the elements behind him, Danny struck out with lightning, wind, water, ice, and heat, suffusing his attacks with ectoplasm and doing all he could to _drown _her in his efforts.

Bruised and battered, but not beaten, Supergirl redoubled her efforts. A flurry of blows met only ectoplasmic flesh, gelatinous and giving under her strikes. Her heat-beams were only too easy for Phantom to dodge as he contorted his body into shapes she'd only seen Plasticman use. She scowled and breathed deep-

The hurricane-force winds she released met Phantom's own tornado, ripping and tearing her miniature storm to pieces effortlessly. For a moment, Phatnom's deathly green eyes met her own icy blue orbs in a stare-down. Supergirl's gaze narrowed. Something about this fight, this whole setup, stank to high heaven and she'd jumped in like a rookie.

Out of desperation, she decided to try negotiation. It wasn't like the tactic _never_ worked…just not often. "Why are you doing this? You're…_evil_! You shouldn't be angry that-that-!"

"That you injured an innocent?" Phantom yelled, outraged.

Supergirl flinched.

"You recklessly used your powers and someone got hurt because of it. That seems like as good a reason as any to take you down a few notches. Superheroes…too many have too much power and too few care how they use it."

"How about you?" Supergirl pressed, now on familiar territory. She and Kal-El had been accused many time of having too much power. "You're fighting me on even terms…less than that even! How can you say that, when you're this strong?"

Phantom's gaze chilled her. "And did you sweat blood and tears for your powers…did you _die_ for your superstrength? I _did. My heart doesn't beat, I don't need to breath…what did you pay for your power?_"

The Kryptonian flinched again from the raw pain in his voice, but she wouldn't let him get away with _that_ little comment. "My _planet_! All my family, my friends, everyone I ever knew is gone-that's what I paid!"

Phantom narrowed his gaze. "But you had them and they loved you…once upon a time. My family lives to hunt me down now, to _dissect_ me. Do you know what _that's _like? How about looking like a monster to your friends? Everyone I know looks at me in fear and loathing now…"

Kara shook her head, "That's only because of what you've done…turn yourself in, we can help you!"

"Liar," Phantom chastised bitterly, "You can't help me if you don't know the truth…if you never even bothered to look for it."

"Wha-What?" Supergirl asked, suddenly confused.

* * *

"I don't care if your radar's knocked out, launch it!" Agent Alpha cried. The phone was only an inch from his ear, but he could just barely hear the pilot's response over the storm now raging over the battlefield.

"Sir, we don't even know if were _over_ Jump City, let alone if it'll be able to land by itself!" The pilot argued. "The radiation from the ecto-ranium is screwing up what few flight instruments haven't been forked by the storm!"

"Launch The Exorcist or I'll have you shot for treason!" Alpha threatened, now practically screaming into the phone.

"Ye-Yes Sir!"

Alpha grinned. Even if he couldn't see them, those ghosts were toast and, after that, the rest of these meta-human freaks too.

* * *

"Wha-What?"

Danny opened his mouth to respond, but was cut short by the enormous carrier plane breaking the cloud cover directly above them. The massive plane was so large that it blotted out what was left of the sunlight, leaving them in momentary darkness. As Phantom and Supergirl watched, the cargo bay doors opened and dropped a massive white and green robot. The mechanoid was easily as big as a five-story building and glowing a faint radioactive green that made Kara pale dramatically. Even now, at that distance, she could feel her strength ebbing away.

"Move!" Phantom shouted, some part of him crying out as his enemy swayed in the air. Cursing, the halfa flew towards her, pushing her out of the way of the oncoming robot. The machine itself seemed to have clicked 'on,' due to the large lights flickering on, casting a pale green faint illumination on Danny as it closed.

Instinctively, Phantom tried to shift intangible as The Exorcist came upon him, though that seemingly didn't stop it from picking him out of thin air, the machine's fingers closing around him as if he were solid. At first contact, though, it was as if someone had pressed jumper cables to him.

_"!"_

His whole body was on fire, sapping his strength, his concentration, and all his powers. Weakly, feebly, Phantom clawed at the machine, trying to free himself as retro-rockets came online and slowed their freefall. A haze of unfeeling flashed through his mind, of that special place he'd run to get away from the horror of knowing someone else was in control of his body…the pain was walled away for a brief second and Daniel Fention tumbled out of the robot's grasp.

White rings burst into existence as soon as he cleared the giant metal thing, the halfa shooting up like a rocket, a slightly unhinged anger still glowing bright in his eyes. He knew he wasn't thinking clearly, he knew there were better options than this, but that _thing_ needed to be put out of commission, _now_.

Supergirl watched, stunned for not the first time today, as Phantom escaped the grasp of the kryptonite-covered giant robot. She watched, utterly amazed, as he was still able to keep in the air after that agonizing scream of pain…that horrible _pain_ that sounded worse than anything she'd heard outside of Apocalypse… And then he opened his mouth. It wasn't, as she first thought, to ask her what that _thing_ was, she could still see the confusion in his eyes, but there was anger there also as he breathed deep and-

The sound he let loose was something like Black Canary's screech.

It was louder, it was longer, and it was _stronger_, but it wasn't _exactly_ the same.

The force waves were actually _visible_, clearly, obviously visible as he shot the destructive wave of energy downward. The giant white and green robot had recovered it's freefall and was moving back towards them…panels opened up as lasers appeared, visibly amassing energy as it aimed itself-

-At Phantom.

Supergirl blinked, the thought ringing true amidst all the confusion of the situation. Someone had sent this thing for _Phantom_. Out of all the meta-humans on the battlefield below, in spite of _her_ being right next to the ghost…that _kryptonite-covered _robot was aiming itself at Phantom. The situation, already complicated enough for all the classic hallmarks of a fuster-cluck of _epic_ proportions…just got more complicated. Someone with an immense pool of resources was trying to _kill_ Danny Phantom.

And then Phantom scream met the robot, dead on.

The noise was like a thousand hands screeching on a thousand chalkboards. As the sound-waves impacted against the mecha, it seemed like some actual kinetic force was involved, deflecting against the kryptonite armor. For a long moment, neither Phantom nor The Exorcist gave any indication of folding. Then, even as Phantom looked to finally be tiring, he dug _deeper_, scraping against the bottom of the immense well of power he'd _died_ for…

Dark clouds wrapped themselves into cyclonic funnels at his command, massive vortexes stretching before him like the striking edge of a God's hands. The wind struck, hammering against The Exorcist, battering the massive robot with the implacable force of will of a dead man. The Exorcist's booster's kicked in holding it steady in the air as Phantom beat at it, screaming, _screaming, _louder and louder. Phantom's power surged one last time, lightning coursing along the funnel clouds extending from him, _pure electricity_, unaided by ectoplasmic energy.

After a breathless moment, the robot sizzled and fell down to earth, the impact shaking the city and the land beneath regardless. Supergirl _stared_, awe and amazement and _respect_ on her face and in her eyes as she gazed at the tired spirit before her. Phantom was gasping with exhaustion, freezing sweat beading down his face in rivers; his aura was week and fading as he tapped his last reserves to stay afloat and keep his eyes open…

And locked on the scene of devastation down below. Fully half of the cityscape beneath him was either rubble, on fire, or littered with destroyed cars and debris. To see Jump City spread out below, miles in every direction, and looking like _this_…

It was horrible.

"This is all my fault," Danny whispered, coming down from the torrent of emotion finally. "Blood…he might have controlled me, but I did this. I did this…and I have to put a stop to it."

Say what you will, there was still something in him that wanted to do the right thing. He didn't know if his aching body had enough within it to keep moving, but he'd do as much as he could…as much as _he had to do_. Without even sparing Supergirl a second glance, and most likely forgetting that she was even _there_ at all, Phantom swooped low above the city, doing his best to clear the storm as he went. The ash and rain-soaked city, when struck by the rays of the sun, was revealed in it's totality. The destroyed downtown was filled with burned out corpses of warehouses and storefronts, gaping wounds on the face of a battered city.

"STOP!"

The word was sharp and echoing in the sudden silence after the storm. All over the battlefield, heroes, villains, and government agents (of varying legality) all looked up in shock to see the tattered form of Danny Phantom wearing his stained and torn white trenchcoat, sans dark glasses, wind-tusseled hair, and a scabbard hung over his right shoulder across his back. There was still a lasting bit of power wrapped around him, glittering in the light of the sun.

"STOP FIGHTING!"

No one moved as Phantom's face twisted into a snarl.

"I just kicked Walker, Plasmius, and the Fright Knight's collective asses!" Phantom _wailed_, his ghostly voice carrying throughout the city. "Any ghost who thinks he can take me after that is welcome to try! To the rest of you:"

"_Get the Hell out of this city!"_

The Teen Titans looked on in shock as the ghostly shades vanished, looks of absolute _terror_ on their faces. Within moments of Phantom's proclamation, there wasn't a single spirit to be found on the chaotic battleground. It seemed Phantom's ultimatum carried considerable weight in the supernatural community…which surprised even Danny himself. He hadn't actually thought that would _work_, but bluffing was about all he was good for right now.

"I am also _ORDERING _any member of the HIVE to surrender and lay down arms. Failure to do so will mean answering to _ME_!" Phantom cried, his voice shaking the burned out buildings with its intensity. Between the beating they had taken at the hands of law enforcement, the Titans, the Guys in White, and Walker's goons, not to mention the miscellaneous law enforcement involved…nearly all of the HIVE were only too happy to be taken into custody and receive medical treatment. The ones who weren't ready to give up met Phantom's stare with defiance on their tongue…

And flinched.

Phantom was a legend in the HIVE and spoke with Blood's authority, after all.

When none of the HIVE objected, Danny waited for a moment, gathering the strength for a final announcement…and to give his former classmates time to clear the battlefield. "To the Guys In White!" Phantom yelled, his voice nearly cracking with weakness. "You win…I'm giving myself up to the custody of the Teen Titans."

With that, Phantom finally, _finally_, set himself down on wobbly legs in front of the Boy Wonder, arms outstretched for handcuffs. Robin _stared_ for a moment, unable to comprehend what was happening, before reflexes kicked in and the cuffs came out. He tried to feel some happiness at the loops of metal snapping over Phantom's hands, but all that filled him was a strange sense of emptiness at the relief and sadness in his prisoner's eyes. Robin opened his mouth, ready to read the ghost his Miranda Rights when the rubble of a building half a street away began to churn noisily. All eyes moved to the spot, the debris parting as an enormous white-and-green mechanoid rose from the destruction. It was damaged, but still operable…

And there was no mistaking its target.

A missile bay on its chest opened up, freeing a conic projectile to fly right at Phantom…

And the assembled Titans.

Raven, still holding the injured Dani Phantom, though with a now-bandaged and healed wound, watched in shock and horror from barely a hundred feet away as the missile landed not two feet away from her friends. Amazingly, desperation had summoned up Phantom's last erg of power into a shield that saved his and Robin's life, but not without injury. Shards of ecto-ranium or kryptonite, depending on who you spoke to, blasted out as shrapnel, spearing Phantom and Robin's limbs with the radioactive substance.

Everyone on the battlefield was too stunned to move as the robot came flying towards its injured foes, hell bent on finishing them off. The only thing that got in its way was a green tyrannosaur, the massive dinosaur roaring in symbolic testament to Beast Boy's quick-thinking shape-shifting. Still, as tired as Beast Boy was from his day of hard-won battles, his friends lives were on the line behind him…and he wouldn't let them down. For the first time, the green changeling was the only thing that stood between them and something that would kill them, something that _wanted_ to kill them. The mere thought of that-that-_thing_ getting past him was enough to spark an emotion other than determination, loyalty, or stubbornness in him.

For the first time, Beast Boy got _angry_.

The gaudy necklace still hanging on him, magically enlarged around the T-Rex's neck, glittered in the sunlight. Then, suddenly, the dinosaur's form shifted in a way that wasn't Beast Boy's normal shape-shift nor a product of the Amulet of Aragon's enchantment. The dragon that stood in between the Titans and The Exorcist was not wholly ghost or wholly solid, but an amalgam of both...

Its genetic makeup wasn't quite that of a halfa, but it existed somewhere between life and death much like them, merely doing both _at the same time_.

And The Exorcist just wasn't prepared for something like that.

It was a short fight.

* * *

Well, there you have it.

That fight scene...that three chapter long fight scene, is done. Finished. Kaput. Beast Boy versus krypto-robo, you ask? Use your imagination. Next chapter will take place in the aftermath, and BOY will there be an after math. Still, I'm soooo glad this fight's done. It's only taken me, what, six MONTHS to get done? Yeesh! That thought makes me almost physically ill. Okay, I'd like to thank everyone who's stuck with me from the beginning and offered words of encouragement right now.

Thank you.

Even people who've called this story dead, thank you...you pissed me off enough to get the next chapter out. So, thanks to you too. And, hey, for those of you who are curious about why this is up so 'soon' after the last update...I read over my material, my 'rough draft' for this chapter when I started working on it yesterday...and threw it out. Yep, five pages of text went into the rubbish bin. So...why does this exist? Well, I finished the first...oh, fourteen pages last night, then the last four around four o'clock today. Yes, that right, I wrote this ENTIRE chapter in virtually one day...eighteen pages of single-space text. Now, I'm going to take a nap and see a movie...maybe something with ghosts in it.

Hah!

Sorry, I'm a little sleep deprived (and insane) right now, so I'll cut it off here before I write anything really stupid.

Happy Halloween from Slayer Anderson

-and don't forget to spay or neuter your pet vampires.

('specially if they sparkle.)

R&R if you please!

Now edited for spelling and grammar (10/25/10), probably didn't catch everything, though.


	19. Comings and Goings

Slayer Anderson

HIVE Minded XVIII

A Danny Phantom/Teen Titans Crossover Fanfiction

10/20/10

* * *

Chapter 18 – Parents' Day

Or

The Comings and Goings of Very Important People…

And a Few Nobodies

* * *

_USA Federal Profile of Subject #00985613_

_ Information for this file is taken from first hand interviews of people who have observed the subject, predominantly citizens of Amity Park Illinois, The Guys In White Ghost Database, the FBI, NSA, and CIA Criminal Databases, and the confiscated records of the HIVE Academy of Extraordinary Young People._

_ Known Aliases and Code Names: Danny Phantom, Inviso-Bill, 'That Damn Spook,' Ghost Boy, Whelp, and Ectoplasmic Abomination._

_ Notable Associations:_

_ HIVE Academy (see file extension #8977)_

_ Fenton Works Inc. (see file ext. #7876)_

_ Casper High School (see file ext. #00067)_

_ Amity Park Police (see file ext. #63555)_

_ Evaluation:_

_ The subject, hereto referred as Danny Phantom, appears as a young man in his mid-teens, short white hair, no facial hair, no visible scars, and always surrounded by a green-white or blue-white (coloration varies, tentative hypothesis attributes such characteristics to meta-human powers) glow or 'aura.' Phantom's appearance has varied over the past two years since his emergence, (see file ext. #4566) but a black and white jumpsuit stays constant. A combination 'DP' stylized emblem has served as his trademark since roughly six months into his tenure as a meta-human._

_ Public opinion remains widely divided as to whether Phantom represents the 'hero' or 'villain' community. An intensely viral underground community known as 'Phantom 4Ever' has become extremely defensive of the subject's legal standing. Many in the underground community insist that the latest incident is a government conspiracy to blame Phantom for the Stone Dimensional Portal Incident (see file ext. #9908). The group has been dismissed as extremist conspiracy rumormongers._

_ Between the recent Stone Incident and the prior incident known as the Amity Park Mayoral kidnapping (see file ext. #4657), the majority of public opinion now rests firmly 'in the black' so to speak. True evidence, such as an openly malicious incident report, has yet to surface, the Stone Incident notwithstanding._

_ Psychological evaluations vary as widely as public opinion, but do agree on several key points:_

_ Phantom prefers non-violent conflict resolution and appears extremely reticent to involve noncombatants or inflict lasting damage on his opponents._

_ Phantom is extremely driven in his goals, whatever they may be; this hints to an obsessive personality and desire for recognition whether good or bad._

_ Phantom is extremely secretive. Whether this is due to his status as a new meta-human or his self-expressed identity as a 'ghost.' His obscure nature makes it impossible to determine whether he is or is not actually dead. Guys In White profilers insist that Phantom is part of a naturally obsessive multi-dimensional breed of meta-human which bears a striking resemblance in appearance and ability to modern conceptions of disassociated human souls. (see file ext. #5778)._

_ *Due to GIW exclusive control of 'ghost-hunting' technology, neither these claims nor those of a 'ghost zone' can be reliably substantiated._

_ Due to Phantom's apparent age and the possibility that he has been dubbed an outcast from his meta-human peer group and is seeking attention by quarrelling with other 'ghosts' (Known common opponents such as Skulker, Technus, and Ember[see file ext. #7665-7667])._

_ Phantom exhibits remarkable restraint for a meta-human with such a wide range and depth of powers, see below for extrapolation, indicating that he either has reservations about crossing certain societal lines or subject suffers from 'attacks of conscience' for lack of a better term._

_ Outline of subject's abilities:_

_ High natural learning curve._

_ Phasing adept._

_ Optional invisibility._

_ Superstrength._

_ Unassisted Flight._

_ Enhanced Reflexes and response times._

_ Extensive abilities relating to the creation and manipulation of a supernatural substance referred to as 'Ectoplasm.' Substance can be use to create offesive and defensive constructs such as blasts and shields._

_ Cryokinesis_

_ Local Climate Alteration abilities_

_ -Aerokinesis_

_ -Limited Electrokinesis_

_ -Limited Thermokinesis_

_ -Limited Hydrokinesis

* * *

_

General George Hack slammed the thick sheaf of papers down on the desk angrily, almost _spitting _fire. "Well, congratulations, Jack! I think I could find all of this _shit_ on Google! Tell me this evaluation is a joke? Please, tell me this crap sitting on my desk is your office's idea of a joke?"

Jack Allen, a perfectly nondescript-looking man, frowned in his seat opposite the General. "George, there aren't any cameras watching. I'd appreciate if you didn't pull out the overdramatic bull just for a normal conversation," Jack said peevishly. "I'm the head of the CIA, not one of your under-brass gophers."

Hack locked eyes with the man and bit back a growl before tiredly rubbing his eyes, sweeping the hand down his face in resignation. "You're right, sorry. God _damn_, I hate politics. Still, Jack, this is a national incident and we know jack-shit about our star character."

"I'd say you got a pretty good read on him…especially after that triple-black report one of my men dug out from where you buried it," Allen commented blandly.

Hack's eyes snapped up to meet him, analyzing the tone his long-time coworker had spoken in. There was no accusation or anger in his voice and, after a moment of consideration, Hack decided to lay his cards down on the table. "Then you know."

"That Phantom's got shit for luck?" Allen asked. "You have no idea. My watchdogs on the GIW could tell you some tales."

"Really?" Hack asked dryly.

"Oh yes," Allen grinned, relishing the curiosity in his friend's eyes, "Apparently they've been gunning for Phantom so hard because he's making them look bad…doing their work for them, better than them, and stepping on fewer jurisdictional toes in the process."

"Huh," Hack responded. "So the rumors about the whole 'mayoral kidnapping' thing being a frame up?"

"We don't know for sure," Allen said, waving the question aside for a moment. "Still…it did give the GIW a good excuse to send in a few teams of agents and confiscate the local police reports on Phantom."

Hack sighed again and said a word which caused even Allen's jaded expression to give way to surprise. "I don't _need_ this! Let's go back to the beginning…what have we got?"

"Between their fuck up in Jump and what we've been able to pick up here and there? If we can get these 'ghosts' solidly classified as meta-humans under the Meta-Human Rights Act of '86? We'd have enough to put every single one of those 'agents' behind bars for at least a century." Allen smiled, his teeth gleaming like a predator's.

"That much?" Hack asked, his eyebrows rising.

"You don't want to know," Allen said shortly, his smile dying a cold death. "They make what my boys did under Nixon look like girl scout stuff."

There was silence for a moment as Allen considered what exactly to reveal.

"George…we're murderers," Allen said shortly, his friend opening his mouth to argue the point, but Allen waved a hand dismissively, "Look…think whatever lets you sleep at night, but I'm more comfortable with the truth. We kill people for our country, for the safety of the people, but we still kill people…even torture some of them in extreme cases. It's what we do…we're rightwing nutjobs."

Another long silence.

"But…I had a watchdog agent on them commit suicide," Allen stated slowly, "We went over that scene with a fine-toothed comb and it wasn't a setup. Jordan…one of my men _killed_ _himself_ over what we found in the file on his desk. The note on top of it was an apology to me, for not being able to finish up…they were the records of five different dissections, all done without anesthetic on living, sentient, beings…'ghosts,' well, I should say 'ghost.'"

Hack's brows furrowed…then his eyes widened.

"That's right, they dissected the _same_ meta-human five different times. He survived each one and my agent snuck in and let him loose after that last one. He killed himself because he knew his cover was blown and wanted to save my office the embarrassment…and because he couldn't cope with watching those _bastards_ tear apart…"

Allen trailed off, unable to finish, and Hack didn't blame him. Softly, he cursed, "_Jesus_."

"And then one of my agents says that 'Agent Alpha' has an _autographed_ copy of Mein Kampf that was once owned by General Rommel. George…I want these people taken down. I want these people taken down more than anything I've wanted in my thirty years on the job. Frankly, I couldn't care less if Phantom turns out to be the 'ghost' of Jack the Ripper, he's the lesser evil here. That kind of _shit_ doesn't belong in America." Allen said, his voice growing heated for the first time in the meeting.

Hack was quiet, mulling over what was being asked of him. Finally, he nodded. "I'll dispatch a group of commandoes to watch Titans Tower to watch over those kids, but…Jack, you need Phantom. If you really want to go through with this, Phantom will make or break your case and he's a cagey bastard if there ever was one."

"Paranoid?" Allen asked, grinning somewhat.

"You haven't _seen_ paranoid until you meet Phantom. Back to a wall, always. He checks the exits, never walks in front of you. You corner him and he'll cut and run like a rabbit. I had him with the Stones for a _week_ and they got nothing out of him…_nothing_. You know enough about Silas' term as a medical interrogator to know that the man would be able to get blood from a stone…Phantom's something else."

"Then I need more carrot and less stick?" Allen asked

"Honest carrots," Hack replied, "Make him think he's working hard for them, though. The kid has a BS meter as finely tuned as yours and will clam up real quick if you let him catch you in a lie. Likewise, if you make it too easy for him, he'll think somethings up."

"I'm liking him more and more," Allen muttered. "What would you suggest as an opening gambit?"

"At the very least you should offer clemency and a PR whitewash…make him a tragic hero or something. News reports, papers, internet, the whole nine yards. After that, I'd say he'll want a pardon for whoever had his back during that mess…same deal for them. Then…well, I've got a few ideas."

"Do tell?" Allen asked, his curiosity piqued.

Hack smiled.

The General's intercom buzzed suddenly, interrupting the conversation, "Sir?" It was his secretary, Stacie. "Sir, the Stones are here, they're demanding to know when you're going to fly out to California? And they have plane tickets with them."

Hack groaned and stood. "Get your coat, Jack, we've evidently got a flight to catch."

Allen snorted. "Why not? Ben can run things for a few days if I'm going on scene to take care of that mess…a few of mine were in Jump too, you know, and they could use a debriefing."

* * *

Evidently, he'd been in the Titan's Medical Wing for two days before he woke up.

Every single part of his body _ached_ like he'd gone ten rounds with…well, it ached like he'd done exactly what he _had_ done. Still, to be able to blink and breathe (even if he didn't really need to) when he wanted, to be able to have his body respond to his mind was something he'd never take for granted again. Danny lay in the bed for a few eternal minutes flexing each finger, toe, muscle, and extremity he could think of, luxuriating in the feeling of being completely and totally in control of his body and mind. The oppressive cloud which had hung over him these last few months had finally lifted. He was _done_ with the HIVE, he could go _home_, he could have a little _downtime_ again…and his thoughts felt clearer than they had in months as well. Somewhat surprisingly, he felt an easy-going smile crease his face. _That_ hadn't happened in a while.

Finally, he tired opened his eyes, to find the sterile conditions common to any hospital anywhere. Harsh electrical lighting hung from the ceiling, casting glare on the whitewashed walls and metal fixtures of the room. The entire space stank of disinfectant.

It was the kind of thing Tucker had nightmares about.

A quiet noise at his side banished the amusing thought, bringing him back to the here and now. The warmth and softness at his side brought a tender smile to his face as he nuzzled the head of pink hair pressed into his chest. Each movement brought twinges of slight pain, but compared to the null void of unfeeling that he'd been condemned to the last week or so, _anything_ was paradise, even his currently injured state. Slowly and carefully, making sure nothing was broken or fractured, Danny brought a hand up to sweep aside the curtain of loose pink strands. In moments like these, in deep sleep or relaxation, that carefully cultivated edge of sarcasm and sourness fell away and Danny caught a glimpse of the painfully sweet young woman underneath it.

_chink!_

The tiny, sharp sound of metal-on-metal contact brought his mind back to the present and he eyed the dimly glowing green handcuffs with something between resignation and irritation. Still, he was fairly sure he wasn't actually _in_ a prison already, which had to count for something, right?

_Cugh!_

The next sound that garnered his attention wasn't some inanimate thing contacting another, it was definitely that of some_one_ coughing politely to get his attention. Phantom warily looked up to the end of his bed, but seeing nothing, he swept the room for other occupants. A blank white curtain blocked his view to the left, but, to the right…

Robin, the Boy Wonder, lay in another hospital bed, an orange-skinned girl with flaming red hair curled up on his right side. He was stripped of everything save his black domino mask and dressed in a normal hospital smock. Looking down, he belatedly noticed that someone had given him an identical outfit (also noting, with some relief, that some miracle had allowed him to stay _Phantom_ and not revert to _Fenton_). Robin gave him a silent one-handed wave, drawing his attention to the bandages strewn across his visible skin. All in all, though, he probably looked to be in better shape than Danny himself. But, the shiny cuff around the masked heroes' own hand drew a single raised eyebrow from the ghost teen.

"What are you in for?" Phantom asked lightly, jokingly, relishing the feeling of exercising his atrophied sense of humor. "Fashion police?"

Robin gave a very strong impression of rolling his eyes, but responded quietly with an eye towards both their sleeping counterparts. "Very funny. Starfire caught me sneaking out to do some paperwork...a few times."

"I guess there's no chance of me getting anything to work on either, huh?" Danny asked softly. Weeks of constant work and activity, pushing himself to his limits, had left his mind buzzing with a need to occupy his thoughts. Being occupied was better, _easier_, than letting his mind wander to think about _things_…

"Not likely," Robin commiserated, his fingers tapping lightly on the metal bar of bedrail. If he really wanted to, he could get out of the handcuffs or slither out of Starfire's grasp…but not both, which was one of the reasons the redhead was sleeping next to him. The other reason, well…he could guess, but… "Phantom…just _who the hell are you_?"

The ghost teen snorted and Jinx stirred lightly in her sleep at the quick movement of his chest. He waited a few heartbeats (metaphorically, of course, since he didn't actually _have_ that medical condition right now), before speaking. "You know…I think that might be the first time anyone's actually _asked_. Where do you want me to start?"

Robin blinked owlishly. That…hadn't been the response he was expecting. "First off…why are you actually talking to me?"

"If I didn't you'd probably go all 'interrogator' and wake Jinx up. The last few days have been…hard on her. _I've_ been hard on her. Seeing her asleep like this, it makes me think I might not be the worst thing she could possibly attach herself to. And…anyway, talking is _something_, I guess…seeing as how you managed to dig up a pair of Fenton Ghost Cuffs from somewhere."

"That's what they're called?" Robin asked lightly. "They were running the HIVE armory through the Federal Weapons ID System and those came up as unknowns. After Cyborg repaired himself, he crosschecked it with your energy signature on a hunch."

"Some hunch," Phantom commented lightly. "I'm glad he picked one of the few things that doesn't intentionally or unintentionally blow up."

Robin raised an eyebrow, "Cyborg would have picked something that completely inhibited your powers, but he settled for those after his parents got here yesterday. I'm not sure exactly why, but they rushed you into surgery and removed every piece of kryptonite they could find. They said something about it messing up your quasi-meta-human energy circulation and creating some kind of stoppage. I know it's not my place, but…why would they come all this way…"

Danny palmed his face, rubbing at it tiredly. Well, at least he knew what had most likely stopped him from transforming back now. "…for someone who was supposed to have nearly killed them? I guess now that the cat's out of the bag…long story, but, sufficed to say…I needed to maintain my cover as a villain or the HIVE would have…done things to people I care about."

Robin shivered slightly at Phantom's cold and distant tone. "Blackmail _and_ Mind Control…is anything _ever_ simple with you Phantom?"

"Call me Danny," He responded automatically.

"Robin," The Boy Wonder nodded slightly.

Silence reigned for a few moments, each wondering what turn the conversation would take next.

Not surprisingly, it was Robin that spoke first. "Fenton, you said? About the cuffs I mean? Is that Madeline and Jack Fenton?"

Danny felt his stomach clench in anxiety, "Yeah, why?"

"They showed up yesterday," Robin said, confirming Danny's worst fears. "They're out looking for their son right now, but they were _very_ interested in running…_tests_ on you. After they accused Raven and Beast Boy of being ghosts, she threw them out of the Tower."

Danny groaned audibly. "Joy. Watch out for Maddie by the way, she's a crack shot." He'd worry about Daniel Fenton later. It wasn't like he could do anything about the crumbling boundary between his two lives while he was handcuffed to a hospital bed.

"Noted," Robin stated firmly. He didn't really like the couple all that much. The things they had implied they would do to Phantom…didn't sit right with him, especially given what he was finding out now. Granted, he was still a criminal, but…there were some things even criminals didn't deserve. "How do you know them, anyway? If you don't mind me asking?"

Phantom shrugged carefully, mindful of the still-sleeping Jinx laying on his left. "Its not like it's a big secret. They're ghost hunters, I'm a ghost. Nature kind of took its course from there."

Robin nodded slightly, his face betraying nothing of the suspicion he felt. There was definitely something deeper to _that_ story, still…it was better to keep Phantom talkative and friendly on other topics. If the information proved absolutely necessary, he'd burn that bridge when he came to it. "And the HIVE? What about them?"

Danny was silent for a while, Robin gave him time to think on the obviously touchy subject as the white haired teen let his mind float, listening to his girlfriend's slow breathing. "The HIVE…was probably the best and worst thing that has ever happened to me. They found out I had some still-living relatives and threatened to harm them if I didn't get on board with the whole 'villain school' thing. It was weird, at first, but…when you can walk through walls, disappear, and fly…it's nice to know you're not the weirdest guy in the world. Between that and the training, the classes, they taught me so much that I can't really regret _all _of my time there."

"They?" Robin asked when Phantom paused. "The teachers?"

Danny nodded, "And my classmates, and Jinx." Phantom looked at the pinkette with such tenderness that Robin averted his eyes for a moment, embarrassed by the other's moment of intimacy. Naturally, though, the only place his eyes had to go was to his right…towards Starfire…

His blush deepened.

"Actually," Danny continued in a much lighter, less serious tone, "One of my instructors told me this really _interesting _story about a glue factory, a giant fan, and a few dozen pillow cases of downy feathers."

The Boy Wonder paled dramatically, his thoughts suffering the equivalent of a fifteen-car pile-up as he _hissed_, "Selina Kyle."

Danny _grinned_.

"Oh god," Robin groaned quietly, careful now more than ever to not wake up Starfire. She didn't need to hear about _that_, ever. "You took lessons from Catwoman?"

"She was actually one of the better instructors," Danny commented, "It'll be perfectly okay if I never see Harley Quinn ever again after the _pudding_ incident."

The two settled into a companionable silence, each contemplating their mutual embarrassment. Finally, Danny broke the silence, "Robin…what happens now? To me…and Jinx?"

Robin sighed, the good cheer draining from his expression. "Well…that depends. I haven't been able to feel out the current situation much…being _restrained_ as I am, but I'd say your willingness to part with information about the HIVE would be a big mark in your favor. Depending on what the actual _truth_ of the matter is behind all of this mess will play a big part. Someone's going to need to take some blame, though."

As if some deity had heard him, the hospital doors burst open at that point, revealing several people Danny recognized and several other people he'd only _heard_ about in awed voices and hushed whispers. Robin, he could tell, was just as surprised by quite a few of their guests as he was…especially the one wearing the cowl with the pointed ears.

General Hack headed up the group, leveraging his way past an irritated Silas and Elinore Stone, Cyborg hovering closely around his parents. Following the military man was a completely non-descript man wearing an ash-gray suit, a carefully blank expression, and hair that had just started to gray at the edges of its predominately soot-black coloration.

Superman and Batman were side by side, each followed by a much younger girl. In the Dark Knight's case, a quietly-moving redhead with a yellow bat insignia stalked in his shadow; Supergirl followed her cousin in a much different, more embarrassed and shame-faced manner. Finally, in the very back of the rather large (and larger-than-life) group, Raven floated silently, her expression torn between irritation and amusement as she swept past the argumentative bunch and disappeared behind the white curtain to his left. Danny could guess, with some certainty, that he now knew what was behind that veil…but instead of allowing the question to pass his lips, Raven, unsurprised at his conscious state, made eye contact with him and-

-a small upturn of her lips, what _might _be called a smile and a silent nod.

A weight lifted from his shoulders.

"-And I said I don't care! This is a Medical Wing, a Hospital! These are my patients and you're not going to wake a single one of them up before they're good and ready! If you even think about trying to interrogate one of them in the state they're in-"

"Silas."

At the voice, Danny's voice, everyone froze (save for Batman, obviously, because he's _Batman_) and looked towards the ghostly teen. A cool chill surrounded him as anxiety and an embarrassed flush rose within him at the sudden focused attention. "If someone wants to talk to me, it's fine. I don't mind."

Silas opened his mouth to argue, but Elinore's discrete touch warned him away from that course of action. Instead, he huffed and stepped out of the path of the government officials and the legendary heroes. Batman, no doubt only waiting out of some vague sense of courtesy and because Robin was obviously not in life-threatening danger (again, because he's _Batman_), swept across the floor to his apprentice, managing to do so, so silently that Danny could have sworn he didn't actually touch the ground.

"Too _loud_," a light voice groaned. Danny blinked as he felt the weight on his left side shift moments before a pink head popped up sleepily, her normally tamed and gelled hair in complete disarray. Her 'normal' clothing was gone as well, leaving her in a purple blouse and a deep navy skirt, a long pink vest thrown over it. Overall, other than the pink hair and sleepily blinking cat-eyes, Danny would have never thought this was the determined criminal who sparred verbally as easily as she did physically. "_Danny!_"

It was roughly a second after Jinx realized her boyfriend was awake that she was trying to shove her tongue down his throat, hug him, and make sure that he was all right…all at the same time…and in front of Superman…and Batman (even though Batman wasn't _facing _him right now, he didn't kid himself. Batman _knew_[because he's _Batman]). _It was a long, blissful, embarrassing few moments before he managed to pry Jinx off him long enough to point out that they weren't, _exactly_, alone.

Superman was looking faintly amused, Supergirl was looking, perhaps, even more embarrassed than he was; Silas and Elinore were giving him a vaguely parental look of disapproving pride. He could read the expressions fairly well by now and theirs clearly said: _yes, we're happy you have a girlfriend, yes, we know you're just a hormonal teenager, and, no, that doesn't excuse you for making out in front of the world's greatest heroes._

God only knew what the Bat Clan were thinking…and he wasn't talking.

Cyborg was attempting to look _anywhere_ but the bed that contained the most confusing hero or (_and?_) villain currently residing in his life and in the his Tower, and resolutely ignored anything that didn't involve his parents needing something or being attacked. He was actually doing a fairly good job of it.

"Daniel Phantom?" Superman asked, breaking the increasingly awkward silence pervading the room. Jinx grinned cattily and wrapped her arms around Danny's waist, happily refusing to budge regardless of who was in the room.

"Just Danny, uh…Mr. Superman, sir?" Phantom responded, a slightly stronger chill pervading his being and choking off the too _warm_ feeling of his girlfriend's body.

"Just Superman…or, if you prefer, Kal-El." Superman nodded, a slight grin flashing over his face, though it faded as he started into his real business. No, he had most certainly _not _been happy when Kara handed in her mission report. "I hate to interrupt your recuperation, but…my cousin has something she'd like to say to you regarding her…_behavior_ over the last few days."

The Man of Steel stepped back and Supergirl floated forward, not meeting his curious gaze. "Ah…I-I'm sorry…for the girl I hurt. I, it was a reflex and-"

Her sputtering explanation stopped and she took a deep breath. "What I did was inexcusable. I jumped to conclusions, injured someone who wasn't even in the fight, and you still knocked me out of the way of that giant robot. So, I'm apologize for any injury I did to you and your…relation. Thank you for hearing me out."

The blonde teen bowed low at the waist, formally.

Superman watched with concealed interest as emotions flashed across Phantom-Danny's face. Intense guilt, anger, helplessness, rage, and a terrible sadness. Abruptly the barometric pressure dropped off, stopping as a slight chill wafted off Phantom's form. Hesitantly, he nodded. "Apology accepted…for both myself and my cousin," Danny said slowly, "And I'd like to offer my own."

Kara's head snapped up in shock.

Superman smiled in approval. He really hoped the kid got out of his current mess alright. A teenager this even-tempered was a rarity, especially one so level-headed. And, although some would condemn him…the 'Man of Steel' had had his own 'misunderstandings' regarding exactly where he stood on the whole 'good' and 'evil' scale. As long as the kid kept his nose clean after this, he'd make sure a few allowances were made here and there.

"I said some things…and putting aside what happened, you didn't deserve to have it thrown back at you like that. I'd say I wasn't in my right mind at the time, but…" Danny frowned. "That doesn't excuse it. So…how about a blank slate?"

Supergirl smiled, "Really? I mean, sure!"

Superman nodded, "If you're going to be in Jump City any longer, you may be seeing Supergirl around a bit more. I've decided she needs to take a little rest from the bigger missions for a while. I wouldn't be surprised if she wound up helping the Titans now and again…after she's finished her grounding."

Supergirl and Danny both winced at the finality of the tone.

"Ah, sure," Danny nodded, finding his voice, "Though I'm not exactly sure how things are going to go…"

"I wouldn't worry too much," Superman said, giving Danny a significant look. "These things have a way of working themselves out." _And, if it needs a little _help_ to work itself out, I'm sure Bruce won't mind exerting a little pressure here and there, especially after what the kid did for Dick._

"Oh!" Supergirl interjected, "Ah…Stargirl says she really feels bad for what happened to and she would've come in person, but she's grounded at least until her dad can get the Cosmic Staff back in one piece."

Danny winced again. "Would you tell her the same, from me?"

The blonde super-teen nodded and, their piece said, they walked said goodbye before making stopping by the Bat Clan to do much the same.

Somewhat reluctantly, Danny turned his attention to a respectfully patient General Hack and his mysterious friend. The central part of the reluctance revolved around the 'friend.' Despite the fact that his ghost sense wasn't going off, Danny felt a trill of danger creep up his spine at the deceptively normal-looking individual accompanying the General. Whoever he was, this wasn't someone to trifle with.

"Long time no see Danny," Hack said politely, extending a hand.

"Yes sir, I suppose it has," Danny said, smiling somewhat neutrally.

"Long enough to see you into the big league," Hack teased, shooting the spectral teen a grin.

"Big Leagues?" Danny asked, stumped. "Sorry sir, but I'm still small time, street level stuff. Just a nobody."

Hack belted out a laugh, sounding almost like a bark. The mystery guest smothered a smile. "Kid, you're national news. You pop up out of nowhere, look like one of the biggest villains not currently behind bars and then you go and do something like _this_. Some nut-bar news reporter managed to loot a telescopic lens from a partially caved-in store…she caught nearly your _entire_ fight. You duked it out with a _kryptonian_ kid, and that was only _after_ you took on your own rogue's gallery. Then again, I didn't mention the way you put your foot down in front of three armies and the _armies_ backed down. And then there's the fact that you probably saved _The Boy Wonder's Life_. If you're a nobody, then you're the biggest nobody I've ever met."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Danny said somewhat coolly, recognizing the attempt for what it was. The reminder of what exactly occurred yesterday was an unwelcome one, especially as they _both_ knew that the general had him dead to rights on dozens, if not hundreds, of crimes. The level of public endangerment he'd opened up on the people of Jump City would be enough, properly 'spun' in the media, to land him behind bars indefinitely…more than long enough for everyone to forget about the wanted felon Danny Phantom.

Hack's grin faltered somewhat and he leaned back into an uncomfortable hospital chair. The graying man sighed deeply, "You know, kid, you could have gone easy on me this once. I'm on your side about this whole mess."

Danny and Jinx snorted simultaneously.

"It's taken a while, sir, but I've finally learned a little healthy paranoia," Danny replied acidly. "You'll have to give me a little more to go on than 'you want to help.'"

Hack and Allen traded glances, a silent conversation flashing between the two. Neither showed outward signs of it, but there was an air of obvious tension growing around them. The stares of the two men narrowed when neither immediately capitulated, finally transitioning to the verbal arena when Allen growled out, "No."

"Ultimately, it is your decision," Hack nodded, seemingly agreeable, but poorly concealing sarcasm underneath his words.

"It's a _bad idea_," Allen growled again. "He's being uncooperative."

"And because we _need_ him, we're going to be generous," Hack replied confidently, pulling a key from his pocket.

Despite his grimace, Allen made no move to stop Hack as he slid the key into Danny's handcuffs and snapped them off. As the impossibly loud _click_ sounded in the room, nervously glances shifted towards Danny and Jinx. This was the moment of truth…would they reciprocate or cut and run?

Phantom massaged his wrist slowly, staring somewhat unbelievingly at the sight of his apparent freedom. Finally, he nodded decisively, "All right, you have my attention now."

The entirety of the group let out a light exhalation at that, though Jinx merely held Danny more tightly. Allen and Hack traded another look before Allen held out a hand, nodding somewhat warmly. "Central Intelligence Agency Director Jack Allen."

Both former HIVE members stiffened at the name. Given their recent occupations, neither was comfortable talking with a 'spook.' Warily, as if the offer was an extension of a living rattlesnake, Danny shook the man's hand. "You obviously know who I am…you've been trying to arrest me…or kill me, for a while now."

Cyborg winced in the background.

Allen sighed, "And that's part of the reason I'm here today, to talk this out, Mr. Phantom." Looking once again to Hack, Allen took out a small black box and set it on the bedside table. A green light blinked to life innocently. At Phantom's look, he explained, "Combination white-noise emitter and cone of silence…upgraded for use in the presence of Superman. It blocks listening devices and enhanced beings from eavesdropping on us. No one outside of five feet is able to hear what we're discussing right now."

Phantom nodded, his face blank as the CIA Director considered his next words.

"I suppose we'll cut straight to business then," Allen said finally. "The CIA is building a case against the HIVE and the Guys In White. Both organizations have breached local, state, and federal laws and constitutions and we need all the information we can get on both. The government of the United States of America is willing to offer you a full pardon for any information you may have on them."

Phantom raised an eyebrow, his gaze wandering down towards Jinx, "Jinx and Kyd Wykkyd go free too." He didn't know where Bumblebee was or her condition, so he'd leave that off the table for now.

Allen and Hack traded another glance, considering the offer.

"Ultimately, we don't think you have enough information for that," Hack said neutrally, his tone considering.

Danny snorted. "One of the HIVE overseas accounts in the Bank of Taiwan, account #6588996."

Their eyes lit up at the tidbit, Hack pulling out a cell phone and stepping away from the group. After a moment, he looked back to Allen and nodded, though he stayed on the phone for a considerable amount of time longer. The information was real, and _good_. Allen looked back to Danny, consideration in his gaze. "Fine. Three pardons, though the information had better be worth it."

"It will be," Phantom said confidently. "Though I'm not sure why you're coming to me with this. I don't remember much, but the HIVE should have been completely exposed by that explosion…shouldn't you be questioning Brother Blood about all this?"

The man's face said it all.

Jinx and Danny each cursed sulphorously.

"Brother Blood is the 'Headmaster' of the HIVE," Jinx explained, her tone biting and angry. "He's the one responsible for mind-fucking the entire student body and using us to do his dirty work! Tell me you have him behind bars!"

Allen shook his head. "He must have escaped in all the ruckus. Still, we'll be charging the remainder of the HIVE with-"

"-No," Phantom interjected. "The HIVE's full of messed up kids, but the majority aren't _real_ criminals. Mammoth, Gizmo, Angel, Billy Numerous, and all the others, they're dupes…you want Brother Blood. You target Brother Blood with this case or you don't have me…jail time or not."

"We'll have public opinion will crucify you," Allen spat, his sensibilities offended at having a criminal, no matter how innocent, dictate terms to him. Granted, said criminal didn't know that someone had _melted_ the HIVE's servers, so they _needed_ Phantom in a bad way…

"I've been there, done that, and gotten the T-shirt," Phantom snarked.

Silence.

"God Damn," Allen finally snorted. "Hack said you were a cagey bastard, but I didn't believe him. Fine…you want the case against Blood, you've got it. There will need to be _some_ consequences for a group of trained criminals with superpowers. They can't _walk free_ and we can't spare the manpower needed to keep an eye on that number of teenagers metas."

"Then put them to work," Phantom stated obviously. "Like you said, they're _trained_. Most of them would just as soon work for the government as Blood…probably even more after _this_ batshit. Offer them work, food, and pay and they'll be as loyal as you need them to."

Allen _stared_.

For a moment, he thought he was going to lose his cool and hug the kid. First the kid gets him out of having to arrange two-hundred separate trials, saves him a legal _nightmare_, offers the big-boss on a silver platter, _and_ gives him this….it was too much. Phantom had just single-handedly solved one of the doomsday scenarios of the American Government! Everyday, a hero seemed to join the Justice League, making the gap in power that much larger. The American government would grow more and more paranoid and crack down on meta-humans, driving more and more supers to the Justice League. Endless cycle.

And now they had a group of young, impressionable, _trained_, meta-humans that would work for nothing more than a paycheck and not be concerned about the moral implications of the work they were doing…

His eyes even got _teary_ there for a moment.

"It'll be a stretch, and the paperwork alone with be horrible," _but then again, what wasn't these days?_ Allen tried his best to sound hesitant, make Phantom give him the hard sell…

Phantom considered, before saying, "I'll talk to them, make sure they understand the transition…and make sure they're free of Brother Blood's influence."

Allen pretended to scratch his cheek, actually wiping away the single tear that happened to slide down his cheek at in that moment, "You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Phantom, but we're agreed. Kyd Wykkyd, Jinx, and yourself will all receive full pardons for your services in witnessing and evidence against the HIVE. Agreed?"

Phantom nodded and they shook. "What about the Guys In White?"

Allen sighed, "That is considerably more difficult. The GIW are a government agency and we'd have trouble convincing anyone that a criminal, no matter how innocent, is fit to testify against them in court. They'd attack your credibility and we'd be done for."

Everyone was silent again as Hack snapped his phone closed and rejoined the discussion, Allen filling him in on the details in a quiet tone. Hack admirably refrained from grinning. Phantom, though, quietly whispered something into Jinx's ear. The pink haired girl's eyes shot wide at the suggestion, her hair flying as she spat an angry reply. Danny snorted and asked something in a much lower tone. The pinkette winced, going silent. This time, his voice audible, Phantom asked, "Jinx…we do need _something_ to do after we get out of the Tower. We have history, not the good kind, with the Titans…we'll need food and shelter...and money. Tell me, honestly and with a straight face, that you want to go back to that life and I won't say anything else on the matter."

Jinx closed her eyes. "Will you be there?"

Danny blinked, "What?"

"Will you be there?" Jinx repeated, her tone soft and nervous, "With me?" It was as if she was asking for something she knew she couldn't have, something she knew she shouldn't ask for…something that was for _other_ people. "Will you be there with me? An apartment...girlfriend and boyfriend stuff…the whole nine yards."

Danny kissed her.

He was cool against her lips. It wasn't a painful cold, but a firm chill that settled against her body, calming and reassuring her. Sadness and nervousness bled away in the face of his implacable embrace…leaving only a firm resolution. He pulled her closer, moving his lips to within an inch of her ear.

"I'll be there for as long as you want me."

Hesitantly, tentatively, she nodded. "Okay."

Jinx's response was enough for Danny as he looked up to the somewhat uncomfortable government duo. He raised an eyebrow at them, before speaking. His tone was confident, sure, "…What if, just _what if_, mind you…Jinx, Kyd Wykkyd, and I turned out to be a team that the government sent in to investigate the HIVE? Would people believe us if we were…agents?"

A heartbeat.

Another heartbeat.

The idea penetrated the General and Director's minds, finally; the concept came to fruition. Allen firmly repressed the urge to _adopt_ Phantom as his son, dead or not. Hack's face contorted into several odd shapes before settling on neutrality. Men who had served under him before would have been stupefied to see a smile mixed in with those expressions. Still, it was something like Christmas for the two men…_Danny Phantom would be serving as an Agent_. This would virtually eradicate most of the negative press for him overnight, neutralize the threat he posed to the country, and they'd lay claim to a top-level meta, someone who'd fought a Kryptonian on even ground!

"Well," Allen considered slowly.

"-But, if we do this," Jinx punctuated, "We each get three years' worth of back pay in blind secure trusts, liquidate our health insurance, and add in hazard pay for good measure. Wykkyd gets the same deal if he's in. That's the least you can do for such a good undercover operation, right?"

_This_ left Allen with a bitter taste in his mouth. Phantom and his 'team' would come with a hefty price tag…most likely in the hundreds of thousands…if not over a million, but would it be worth it. Still… "Say I think this _might_ work. I'll need to create a paper trail for you and this 'team' I've had in the HIVE. I'll need to get a few department heads in on the story, they'll need to sign off on old reports. The President will need to be briefed…that's the trickiest part-"

He cut off in hesitation, a thoughtful frown on his face. "At least its an election year, what do you think, Greg?"

General Hack tapped a finger against his leg, the motion a tell which only his best friends would recognize. Without saying anything, he'd managed to communicate '_I'll get the funding by hook or crook…remember, this kid managed to get into a Star Lab without a single alarm. He's good._' "I'll pull some strings, call in a few favors, but it'll be tough."

Allen looked at Phantom again, trying to ignore how _young_ the meta-human looked…_well, except for the eyes, nothing young about those._ "You'll have to go through a few training sessions…I'll have a few of my top guys clued in on the situation and run you through the hoops. The only thing I really need to know is…how exactly _did_ you get your powers? Our files give the basic rundown, but exactly _what_ you are, we're not sure. Even taking into account the 'Big Bang' in Dakota a few years back there isn't a recorded set of meta-humans with so similar powers as you and your enemies seem to possess. I can think of at least seven off the top of my head, something that indicates there's more to you than just a tragic origin story."

Danny bristled at the casual mention of his own personal 'tragedy.' Jinx, beside him, nearly hexed the spook. Sure, he was doing them a favor, but talking about Danny like that was crossing the line. The white-haired ghost sighed deeply, "Do we have to talk about this?"

Allen and Hack traded glances at the sheer _tiredness_ radiating from Phantom. Allen whetted his lips lightly, _time to tread cautiously_. "Putting aside my earlier points, your 'rogue's gallery' as Greg put it, is a source of great contention by the Guys In White…as are you. On another level, we-the US Government-need to be prepared if more meta-humans like yourself are going to be appearing. Beyond even that, though, _we_ need to be prepared if the head of the GIW takes the stand and accuses you of being a ghost."

Left unsaid was the blunt response: _Yes, we have to talk about this._

Danny closed his luminescent green eyes and sighed once more. Opening them, he pinned the General and the CIA Director with his unnerving gaze. _Its time to admit to something I don't like to think about…if I'm going to have my life as Danny Fenton salvageable at all after this, they need to never even think about connecting the two of us._ "I _am_ a ghost."

The two men stared.

Jinx tried to hold back laughter at their expressions.

"I am an ectoplasmic expression of postmortem human consciousness usually conforming to a shape similar to that which I possessed in life. I am a sentient embodiment of a spiritual conception of the 'soul.' The technical terminology would be a 'focused Class S, non-repeating, Phantasm'…or Phantom. Danny Phantom." He _was_ rather proud of himself for that explanation. Granted, his life had taught him nothing if not how to think on his feet.

"You're…dead," Hack said slowly.

"Six feet under," Jinx cheerfully affirmed, "Pushing up daisies, taking a dirt nap, heart-stoppingly stone cold, -"

"I think they get the point," Danny interrupted somewhat sourly. His 'death' was still a sore point for him. Granted, neither form was _wholly _alive or otherwise, but it remained an uncomfortable realization to acknowledge that _most_ people faced with this close a relationship to the 'other side' were either in a coffin or near to it. The most difficult reality he faced, usually, was getting a full night's rest or keeping his clothing from phasing off his body intermittently.

"Good," The pink witch nodded, "'Cause I was kinda' running out of metaphors for the not-so-recently-deceased."

Allen twitched slightly. Between their body language and the tones they took with each other, it was easy to see that Phantom and the girl were…_involved_ on some level, almost definitely in a romantic sense. But that meant…he twitched again.

No, he was _not_ going to think about that.

"Does this _complicate_ things?" Hack asked aloud, successfully overcoming the unnerving reality of talking with a real, live…

"How should I know?" Allen responded blandly. _Was there a precedent for the dad working for the American government? Or, better yet, was there a prior instance of a departed person holding a job_ at all? "Can dead people be citizens?"

Hack raised an eyebrow. "Ahh…as far as I know…there's nothing in the law about _loosing_ citizenship if and when you die. We're in a very legally 'grey' area right here. Wait…what was all that crap about a 'Ghost Zone'…does this mean there are more, _a lot_ more, of dead people…haunting us?"

He _really_ wished another word had come to mind.

Danny raised an eyebrow. "The Ghost Zone…yeah. It's kind of like another…world? Dimension? Something like that…anyway, there are hundreds of ghosts in there…and you're giving me a weird look now."

Allen closed his eyes and slowly massaged his temples. "Kid…you've just told us that you're from another _dimension_ full of dead people. This is a national crisis! I mean…now I have to worry about former agents, our _successful _hit-jobs, and even former heads of the _CIA_ popping up!"

Danny blinked, _that_ was kind of a problem. Although… "Why? I mean, there are hundreds of _natural_ portals that occur every minute of every day that lead to everywhere imaginable. The odds of a particular ghost finding its way back to its home dimension, much less actually remembering enough of its life makes it almost impossible that someone you know will 'pop back up' and cause you trouble."

Hack breathed deeply, relying on his rational and battle-tested mind to calm the unnerving sensations running through his head. He looked back to Phantom, "Okay…two things. One, you said _natural_ portals? How many _unnatural_ portals are there that we need to worry about? And, two…what do you mean by _if they remember enough_?"

Danny sighed, "Well, the Fentons, the ghost hunters, have a portal as well as a man named Vladmir Masters. I came through the one the Fentons have in there basement, so I can't tell you much about the portal Masters has, but he's guards it pretty closely…"

The halfa trailed off, giving the impression that he actually _didn't_ know about Vlad's portal. Simultaneously, he wanted them to get close enough to give the older half-ghost a good headache, but not _too_ close. As long as they could keep Vlad off his back (but not stumble upon his _secret_), the idea of joining the government was suddenly more attractive to him.

"And, well, death is a pretty traumatic thing to go through. Most ghosts don't remember much of their lives before waking up in the Ghost Zone," Phantom continued, being completely truthful. He'd had a few less violent conversations with Johnny 13 on the subject and was surprised to learn that very few ghosts retained any real knowledge of who they had been in their past lives…though usually one strong impression was able to imprint itself on the new, forming, personality. Those memories usually resulted in the ghost's so-called 'unfinished business' or their 'ghostly obsession.'

"So how would recommend, being our 'expert' on ghostly affairs at the moment," Allen asked, "That we go about preparing ourselves in the event of a massed ghost attack?"

"You mean like the when Amity Park was transported to the Ghost Zone?" Phantom asked, not really understanding the question. As far as he knew, without someone like Pariah Dark or Vlad pulling strings, the ghosts would never work together beyond a temporary team up…which usually ended badly. Ultimately, none of them could stand to be near each other long enough to accomplish anything constructive. Of course, it wasn't like he actually _recognized_ that trend until he'd attended on the HIVE's classes on tactics and strategy.

Hack and Allen blinked at each other, now equally alarmed, "An _entire town _was transported to another dimension! Why is this the first we're hearing of it!"

Phantom shrugged. "No idea…it was, let's see," Idly, he counted backwards in his mind, "Ah…May?-of last year? I think that's right."

The CIA Director looked at his long-time friend, "May of...2001? That was the Thanagarian Invasion, wasn't it?"

Hack rubbed his face tiredly. "Alright, let's go back a little bit, get some perspective…Phantom, you died and became a ghost, when?"

Phantom sighed again, this _would_ require some quick thinking on his part. So much for his hopes of making this a quick conversation and managing to do some damage control with his parents… "Well, I'd rather not talk about my death…see, the HIVE was blackmailing me with a few relatives who are still alive, but I died in the late '90's and…"

* * *

Jasmine Fenton scowled once again as she looked over her patient.

Well, he was her 'patient' in more than one way right now, of course. Vlad Masters rested on a bed before her, his usually impeccable appearance a mess of ecto-burns and lacerations. Skulker had managed to get him back to the mansion several hours after the battle, his beaten form even more of a mess than it was now. She'd been forced to rely on the Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter to aid her as she cleaned numerous cuts and bruises, wrapped wounds, and slowly put the billionaire to rights. She still wasn't _happy_ with Vlad's current state, but there wasn't much more she could do save to wait and change his IV as necessary. Well, that and think…

And, boy, did she have more than enough to think about.

"What did you _do_ Danny?" Jazz whispered to herself, no longer able to concentrate on the psychology text before her. "He was trying to _help_ you, to get you away from that _place_!"

She sighed again, during her few breaks from Vlad's side, she'd seen the reports. The HIVEhad wrecked Jump City, destroying so much of their downtown as to make it look like a war zone or a natural disaster had hit. Sure the reporters might give credit to the Guys In White or Walker's goons, but she'd seen the reliability of their information when they'd painted her little brother as a villain.

"No," Jazz stated, more firmly, "It wasn't Vlad's fault that this happened…Danny, why did you have to go back? We could have _helped_ you…anything would have been better than this!"

Whether she liked it or, Danny had chosen his path in life now. Her little brother had _decided_ to take a path that would, inevitably lead to-

_Clouds of ash…burning homes and destruction._

That would lead to-

_Death, people screaming in the streets, running through her nightmares and the future._

That would lead to-

_A terrified, dying world, dying because of-_

_ Because of __**him**_.

Jazz shuddered in her chair, trying to calm herself as memories whipped across her vision. She could see **him**, as terrifying in her dreams as he would be, standing here before her in reality. That horrible smile stretching across his face, his flame-like hair alight with all the terror her nightmares had to offer…

The redheaded Fenton closed her eyes, pushing away her visions of a once-future 'Dan Phantom.' No, there was no _way_ she could let Danny become that-that…

That _thing_.

She looked again at Vlad, her face softening. _This_ was only the first person her brother would hurt if he kept going down the road he'd chosen. Like it or not, Danny needed to be brought back to Amity Park or to stay with Vlad. There were no two ways about this situation, the future of the world, and of her little brother, depended on her ability to pull Danny back to the correct path.

Whatever she had to do, that was her goal, the salvation of her brother.

It didn't matter what she'd have to subject herself to, what she'd have to do in the name of that goal…it would all be worth it if the world survived.

Jazz's face hardened, determination setting in as she watched Vlad heal. No, it didn't matter what _they_ had to do. Vlad wouldn't stop either after all. He'd always had Danny's best interests at heart after all. It was most likely living with their parents that had brought this on. They'd alienated Danny countless times as both Phantom and Fenton, cutting him off from social contact among his peer groups and creating the kind of aberrant behavior that would, given time and pressure, manifest a change in her brother…

From Hero to Villain.

Now she'd have to clean up their mess, no matter the cost.

* * *

So...I looked down at the page counter and it was almost at twenty and I was like...huh? When did that happen? And, anyway, I thought now was as good a time as any to end it and recap.

Jazz being 'evil.' For those of you to whom this comes as a surprise...it shouldn't. I've been hinting, on and off, for chapters on this topic.

For those of you who are wondering about Jinx, she'll be kicking off next chapter, complete with her and Danny's very twisted relationship. For the reviewer who posted that 'things shouldn't go well on that front,' you're absolutely right. Jinx has a whole barrel of trust issues-among other things-and Danny has his own problems. The road ahead will be neither pretty nor easy...though it will be fun to watch.

Let's see...Superman wasn't happy with what Kara got up to and I felt that the man of steel's best course of action would be to check out Phantom himself using the 'apology' as a pretense (given everything that's happening with Phantom press-wise, I felt it prudent that at least ONE member of the Justice League come to feel him out on the hero/villain scale.) Batman doesn't count, he's there mainly for Robin and next chapter will feature Batman/Phantom interaction, which promises to amuse and thrill. Ah...Raven will also get some screen time with Dani, and I'll cover a little more of the fallout. Beyond that, expect Jennifer to 'meet the parents' so to speak and!

And!

-We'll have to surprise guests...that shouldn't be much of a surprise, really. Anyway, between that and the Stones, next chapter should be very busy. Oh, and, just to let people know, this story has evidently made it to 'blurb' status on TV Tropes under Danny Phantom Crossovers and a discussion thread on the Dark Lord Potter Forum. Yay!

Ah...and, yes, I am a shameless Batman Fanboy (because he's the _Batman_, obviously), so that explains that.

Hmm...beyond that, my email is open for those with burning questions.

Remember to Read & Review

-Slayer Out.


	20. Living Dead Boy

Slayer Anderson

HIVE Minded Chapter XX

A Danny Phantom/Teen Titans Crossover Fanfiction

11/13/10

* * *

Chapter 20 – Living Dead Boy

Or

Rough Road Romance Part 1

* * *

Jinx was conflicted.

_That's probably the best word for it_, she thought dejectedly_, 'conflicted.'_ Danny actually waking up was the culmination of many long hours of hoping and, yes, praying. She'd been privy to far too much of the Titans' good cheer and positive attitude for it to possibly be healthy, but whatever her pains, Danny was awake, and that was what counted, right? Her…boyfriend was relatively alive, relatively healthy, and neither of them were going to jail for the numerous crimes they'd committed. Still…Danny had spent far too much time talking with the CIA Director and that General what's-his-name and not talking with _her_. Granted, they _were_ talking about matters directly related to the whole 'not going to jail' thing, so she was willing to be lenient with her irritation, but it was still somewhat upsetting that they couldn't have any personal time.

Finally, _Finally_, the impromptu briefing was over with and they were given…

Jinx scowled, feeling sick to her stomach at the shiny metal resting in her palm. It was heavier than the one she'd played with as a child in the orphanage, but that one was made out of cheep tin…this one actually _felt_ like what it was supposed to be; in fact, it felt even heavier than what it _looked_ like it should. Supposedly, getting it was a matter of necessity…if she, Danny, and Wykkyd were all going to need to testify in courts of law as agents of the federal government, they'd need to be able to play the part. So, a call to the local CIA Office-

_They _had_ one of those in Jump City?_

-and by the end of the meeting, all three former villains had been equipped with the proper paperwork, identification, and…

_Say it Jinx, just say it…it's not the end of the world, Danny won't make you do anything silly like 'uphold the law' with it. Think of it like being undercover._

That still didn't change the fact that there was a _badge_ weighing down the palm of her left hand. She knew what to look for from HIVE's training and it was all there…faux-leather case, proper numbering, picture beside it, watermarked papers. It looked…_legal_. _Ugh…even the _word_ leaves as bad taste in my mouth._

Jinx's pink, cat-slit eyes slid right and left, taking in the room around her and making sure no one was looking before slowly, _slowly_, raising the badge to her face. Once again, she made sure there were no observers as-

"It's not _real_ gold, you know."

Jinx most definitely did _not _jump out of her skin.

Removing the badge from between her teeth where she'd preformed the classic 'pioneer bite test' on the metal, she glared at Batgirl crossly. "I know that, just…checking."

"Uh-huh," Batgirl muttered, a smile twitching at her lips. The pink-haired girl _was_ a bit like a cat, as her eyes suggested. She'd have to be blind to miss the spark of curiosity and focus in those bisected neon orbs.

Suddenly, Jinx's scowl deepened as she remember exactly _why_ she was leaning against a wall and not cuddled up against Danny. As sure as Batgirl had slunk into a shadow near her, her mentor, the Dark Knight himself, had approached Phantom, silently asking for a few minutes and, as much as she'd liked to have stayed, one glare from Batman sent her scampering to the other side of the room. The fact that the hero of Gotham was as scary as _fuck_ notwithstanding, though, she had every right to be petulant about this recent development. "What're they talking about anyway?"

Barbara Gordon, currently Batgirl, raised an eyebrow, not having expected any attempts at conversation, and shrugged. "Don't know, Batman was keeping it on the down-low. He's probably just putting the fear of _him_ into your…"

"Boyfriend," Jinx affirmed and looked closer at the interaction between Batman and _her_ ghost. "Danny doesn't _look_ like he's afraid."

"I know," Batgirl admitted. "It's weird…I've seen more reaction from our usual rogue's gallery than Phantom. He's got one hell of a poker face, I'll say that at least."

A silence.

"Hey," Batgirl said suddenly, "Is it…cold in here."

To her credit, Jinx kept her face blank at the comment, "Probably just a draft."

"Huh," Batgirl nodded, dropping into silence again. After another moment, though, she looked back to Jinx who was staring intently at Phantom, her eyes never leaving his form for long. "So…have you two…ya'know?"

Jinx did _not_ blush, and she _not_ see the vaguely obscene gesture Batgirl made.

"I don't see how that's any of your business, hero."

Batgirl snorted, then shrugged. "Whatever. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. You better be careful, though…girls love a bad-boy and Phantom's a hot topic right now."

Jinx bristled silently, _there had better not be a slag stupid enough to put the moves on her boyfriend_…unwillingly, her mind drifted back to that orange-skinned girl from the warehouse party months ago and the warm feeling in her chest when Danny had stared her down. "I trust him." Whether she was replying to Batgirl or reaffirming herself was anyone's guess.

After all, she'd basically thrown away everything she'd ever worked for to be with Danny. She couldn't be a criminal when she was carrying this badge…could she be happy being a Government spook? _Would_ Danny leave her for someone else? Someone not as…damaged as she was? She hadn't been a good person in the past after all…at points, she 'd been pretty desperate and it had reflected on her actions. Jinx shook her head, trying to clear it of doubt.

She trusted Danny.

_He_, at least, was a good person.

Batgirl nodded, "And…just a tip, you might not want to play with your badge much in public. That kind of thing makes you look like a rookie…and you're supposed to have been undercover for three years, right? A seasoned agent wouldn't keep messing with their badge."

Jinx bristled again, this time in a different type of alarm, "I thought-damn faulty government gizmos!"

"Don't blame them," the black-clad teen stated, "I don't know how he does it either, but he's _The Goddamn_ _Batman_. Makes keeping a steady boyfriend a pain in the neck."

Jinx snorted, then saw the speculative glance Batgirl threw Phantom, "Don't."

Batgirl had the grace to look appropriately ashamed. "Sorry."

Another silence as the two young women stared listlessly at the Dark Knight and the Ghost Boy speaking in low tones. Finally, the caped crusader nodded once and turned away. He threw Robin a glance that was Batgirl knew to be half-worry/half-pride…though anyone else would be at a loss to decipher the masked expression. As Batman marched past his female sidekick, he fixed his gaze on her.

"We're leaving."

"Grump," Jinx muttered.

Batman twitched as Batgirl suppressed a snort.

A moment later, the two Gothamites were gone and Jinx was already on her way back to her boyfriend's bed. Not bothering to ask, she lay down next to Danny, basking in his unique cool-to-the-touch aura. "What'd tall dark and gloomy want?"

Danny fixed her with a serious gaze, locking their eyes. His left eyebrow twitched slightly as he spoke, "That…was the most utterly terrifying conversation I've ever had. Remind me to tell Plasmius that he needs lessons."

Jinx snorted, "I know he's got the _rep_ and everything, but he's just a norm…how bad could he be?"

"He told me, with exacting detail, and thoroughness, what he would _do_ to me if I proved Superman wrong about me…I may have nightmares about it," Danny admitted.

The pinkette blinked, "I thought he had the whole 'no killing' thing."

"Okay," Danny stated, leaning up and off the bed, "First: I don't have a pulse. Second…I'm _pretty _sure I'd survive all of that…and then wish I hadn't."

"Huh," Jinx said, considering that bit of wisdom for a moment. After the thought digested, she shrugged. "Whatever. I wanna' go out."

Danny blinked, "Wha-?"

"I wanna' go out," Jinx wheedled sweetly, "C'mon…I've been cooped up here for days making sure you're alright…after _you_ went all 'hero'…so this _is_ partially _your_ fault, by the way."

Danny's mind winced at his girlfriend's 'logic,' but nodded nonetheless. Jinx would get prissy if he didn't go along with whatever she had planned…and, besides, there was something _he_ needed to get done himself. "Sure, let me check with our jailers to make sure they won't sound the alarm…how do you feel about meeting my parents?"

Jinx cocked her head at the non-sequitor.

Danny sighed, maybe this was a bad idea.

* * *

"This is a bad idea," Robin muttered.

"Ugh," Jinx groaned, "Jeez Boy Wonder, it's not like we're gonna' rob a bank." Jinx paused and looked to Danny, "We're…not gonna' rob a bank, right?"

Robin twitched.

"Not funny," Danny sighed, looking to the masked 'former-sidekick.' "Robin…I know this is…weird and everything, but we're not going run. We're not going to commit a felony. Jinx and I just need a little breathing room. Being so close to people who've been using a 'subdue and capture' attitude on us until now…it's hard."

Raven, as was her want, silently drifted into the room with his suit, his coat, and a sheathed sword laying on it.

Robin's scowl deepened. "Raven…what are you doing?"

"He's trustworthy," Raven stated. "I'll take responsibility if something happens."

Everyone, in one synchronized moment, blinked.

"Huh?" Danny asked intelligently.

"Friend Raven, are you sure that our former enemies will not do the 'misdeeds' if we allow them out of the tower?" Starfire asked delicately, wary of angering the dark Titan.

"I'll take responsibility," Raven reiterated, setting the bundle down in front of the ghost.

* * *

Less than five minutes later, the two teens were gone, leaving the assembled Titans to stare at the blade which had been left sitting on Phantom's bed. The stated reason of it being to 'conspicuous' didn't exactly fill the Boy Wonder with confidence, though the fact that the ghost wouldn't have a powerful weapon helped. A little. Robin waited another moment, then turned to Raven expectantly. "Any particular reason you expressed that much confidence in someone who, until three days ago, we thought of as a criminal?"

Raven was silent for a moment, then drifted over to Phantom's sword, "This blade is called Durendal, sometimes known among certain mystic circles as the Sword of Miracles."

"So…what, only 'good person' can wield it or something?" Robin asked, immediately skeptical of anything 'magic related.'

It was something of an…inherited prejudice.

"No," Raven rebutted sharply, then paused, looking at the sword she held in her hands. "The more knowledgeable of supernatural scholars, though, refer to Durendal as the 'Blade of Lost Causes' or, somewhat more politely, the 'Blade of Endurance.' Every person who has _ever_ used this sword has done so in defense of something…an idea, a person, a nation."

"Okay," Robin nodded, drawing out the word. "_That_ doesn't sound so positive."

"Everyone who has wielded this blade, also, has seen that person, nation, or idea, fall before them. The person they sought to protect would be killed. The idea they sought to forward was crushed. The nation they fought for, obliterated. This is the so-called 'curse' of the blade…to survive the death of that which is most important to you, in return each battle you partake in will be blessed, circumstance will favor you, and you will court victory."

"You can't honestly believe," Robin began, "That a _sword_ can do so much. It's just a piece of steel."

"It's track record speaks for itself," Raven said quietly. "The legend of the Blade's Miracles and Curse began with the Fall of Troy. When the Hero of the city, Hector, gave his blade to Ajax, it was proclaimed, after the fact, that _this_ was the event which would lead to his death. Ajax, however, would go on to win, or tie, every battle he would ever participate in, except for a contest with Odysseus. He had become so absorbed in proving he was better than his fellow warrior that, when he lost, he fell on his blade, this blade, and committed suicide. Of course, it doesn't end there: Hannibal fought Rome in the name of Carthage using Durendal. Roland, the Paladin of Charlemagne, famously used it to try and invade Britanny. The 'Witch of Orleans,' Joan of Arc-"

"-won," Robin interrupted. "Joan of Arc _successfully _expelled the British from France."

"-As a warrior of God." Raven stated coolly, her eyes alight with suppressed emotion. "Would you happen to recall how she died?"

Robin grimaced, then shook his head, "That can't all have been this sword. The invasion of Troy that Homer talks about happened in the _Bronze Age_, this sword is, at least, late Medieval craftsmanship."

Raven snorted in disbelief, an odd sound from the normally restrained teenager, "There is more to a sword…especially one such as this, than mere metal. A sword like this…is an _idea_, Robin. Despite that, though there are numerous reports of it being _reforged_ by everyone from the Fair Folk, to famous Enchanters, to Archangels. This is just the latest incarnation of Durendal."

Robin and Starfire were both staring at the sheathed sword now.

The orange-skinned alien blinked, "When Friend-Phantom and I went to the future, his blade was glowing a very bright blue! It was most pretty!"

Raven blinked. "Starfire…is this the same sword that was…in the museum?" If this was the same 'artifact' that had been missing, the rusted piece of junk she'd seen pictures of…

Starfire's gaze glazed over as she searched her memory for some half-forgotten detail. Suddenly, her eyes widened, "Oh! Yes, I believe I remember Friend-Phantom holding a very old blade before we were sucked into Warp's portal!"

"That just brings up _more_ questions," Raven mumbled, suddenly breaking off the conversation, uttering seemingly random magical words and phrases.

"Raven!" Robin nearly shouted, bringing the dark titan out of her sudden funk. "You never did answer…why should we trust Phantom?"

"Because he's willing to die for something," Rave said short, her usual monotone stressed to the point of breaking. "Or…he already has."

"Raven," Robin began, "We're not getting into this discussion again. No matter what Phantom may seem, he's not-"

"-A ghost. He's not a dead person come back to life," Raven stated acidly. "Did you know, Robin, that I've had the strangest feeling about him since he first showed up? I keep getting this sense of déjà vu…like I've seen him somewhere before."

"And?" The Boy Wonder asked.

Raven held up a hand, an orb of darkness shimmering into the visible spectrum at the gesture. A moment later, a large tome had sparked into existence, "And then I found _this_ when I was looking for information on that sword."

Robin looked at the hovering book, only mildly impressed as it opened itself and flipped to a full-page illustration of a ancient city on fire. Phantom and another 'ghost' were duking it out above the flames, locked in a vicious battle, both faces a rictus of rage and hate as they faced off. "This picture is known as _Rome Ablaze_, it depicts the eternal city during the infamous fire it experience under the rule of Emperor Nero. It was done by an Azarathian Sage just a few days later."

Robin refrained from swearing.

"Ah," Starfire interjected, looking over the picture, "This 'Rome'…I have heard of it on the Channel of Histories on the television. I had thought it was very old, though?"

"It is Starfire," Robin sighed. Looking to Raven, his eye twitched at her smug expression. "This doesn't prove anything."

He wondered if his voice sounded as unsure to Raven and Starfire as it did to himself.

* * *

"I hope you know what you're doing."

The Man of Steel turned his gaze on the Dark Knight of Gotham, "I have a feeling."

Batman scowled, "Need I remind you the last time you had a 'feeling' we ended up just short of _invading Apocalypse_?"

Superman's optimistic expression dimmed somewhat at the reference to Kara's appearance. "I think he's handled the worst of it himself. Besides, the Titans will be there to ride heard on him."

"Truthfully, it's not _Phantom_ I'm worried about," Batman stated. "I don't like the amount of pressure the government's putting on the League. If this is a portent of things to come…"

"I don't like it either," Superman nodded, "But what are we _supposed_ to do, Bruce? We can't exactly interfere in a sovereign nation's internal politics. The League is a _policing_ body…we don't have the facilities or personnel to house and care for dozens of pubescent metahumans with criminal backgrounds."

Batman scowled more heavily, but remained silent on the matter, shifting the conversation to another topic. "This isn't a matter of politics, Clark. Neither is it about the treatment or prosecution of super-criminal offenders. This is about the United States of America building an _Army_ to fight us. This is about a _war_."

"The Justice League won't fight a war," Superman refuted.

"Amanda Waller and Cadmus _will_, though," Batman replied.

There were a few heartbeats of silence as both legendary Superheroes confined themselves to their own thoughts.

"So the question becomes…" Superman considered, "What side this new faction will take?"

Batman snorted, "They're criminals, Clark."

"They're also children," Superman snapped, now glaring at his fellow hero.

"They've made their choice."

"And they deserve a second chance."

"If _we_ were responsible for them, I'd agree." Batman growled. "But, this isn't about you and me. This isn't _Kara_ we're talking about. This isn't _Jason_ who's taken a step in the wrong direction. These are _criminals_, Clark, and they won't have someone to keep them on the straight and narrow like we've down with our wards over the years. Who will they look to?"

"He'll be able to handle it," Superman stated solidly.

"He's as much of a child as they are," Batman growled back.

"Maybe a year ago, he was," The Man of Steel allowed. "But he's grown up. Did you know that Clark Kent occasionally went to Amity Park to check out those 'Ghost Stories?' I wanted to make sure whatever was going on in that town didn't get out of control…and I met him, a few times. He probably doesn't even remember that reporter whose live he 'saved.'"

Batman remained silently, neither confirming nor denying the question.

"He has a good heart," Superman went on. "Phantom wasn't as serious about the job as either you or I are…but, when push came to shove, he'd pull it through. When he got _serious_, you could see it in his eyes…that _look_, that _intensity_, and I just knew he'd put himself in front of _anything_ to save a life. When he was sitting there, talking with the General, though…"

"You could feel it," Batman nodded grudgingly. "He was able to meet my eyes, which is more than I could say for most of the League. You might be right, Clark. He _might_ be able to handle it…but he's _still_ a child, no matter how much he'd grown up over the last year."

"And that's why I have so much faith in him," Superman grinned.

Batman _glared_ at the Man of Steel.

"They'll listen to him, because he's one of them. He's been through the same things as them. He's grown up more than you might believe, Bruce…besides, if you're _that_ opposed to Phantom heading up the former HIVE students, I'm open to another option."

Batman was silent.

After another moment, the Dark Knight's heartbeat vanished and Superman knew he was gone. With no one else in the room to catch him, Superman sighed tiredly.

"For what it's worth, Bruce, I hope I know what I'm doing too."

Unfortunately, the walls of the Watchtower Conference Room didn't have any comforting reassurances for him.

* * *

Danny smiled.

The expression felt unfamiliar on his face, sadly enough.

He knew he'd never been the most…happy-go-lucky kid, even before his half-death, but ever since his stay at the HIVE Academy he'd been more and more reluctant to open up to anyone. Especially in his first few months, he'd been largely without human interaction, save for the few and far-between calls to his parents or Jazz. His… classmates had been amiable enough, he supposed, but there was always that part of him which was wary of interacting overmuch with what were, in essence, villains in training. His reluctance to really _talk_ to anyone had isolated him, until Jinx…and even then…

"How many dates have we been on, Jinx?" Danny asked idly as he phased through the outer walls of the Titan's Tower.

"Hmm," Jinx though, her purring vibrating against his chest as they flew. "I think…we went out for pizza that one time, and then the warehouse where we met the Titans, and…that can't have been it, can it?"

"And there was…" Danny stopped himself abruptly.

"The Noodle Incident," Jinx confirmed.

Both were silent a moment, an equivalent shiver passing through both of their bodies.

The pinkette twitched, muttering something along the lines of, '_so much broth._' "I thought we agreed not to bring that up?" She asked, visibly shaking herself free of the memory.

Danny nodded, "Right…sooo." He frowned lightly as he searched his mind for both the previous topic and a segue to a new conversation, barring himself from any intense emotion. "We usually eat three meals together in the cafeteria, but those aren't dates, are they?"

"Why are you asking?" Jinx asked, hating that her voice reflected her nervousness. _Please don't say you're leaving…_

"No real reason," Danny said lightly, oblivious to his counterpart's anxiety. "I just thought we should spend some more time together, ya' know…now that we're out of the HIVE."

"Oh," Jinx quietly exclaimed, both hating and enjoying the way her face heated up at the casual mention of their relationship. "That would be…nice." _Nice? Nice? I am Evil! Evil doesn't do Nice! I am not a blushing schoolgirl!_

"Yeah," Danny nodded. "I just though we should…do girlfriend and boyfriend stuff, right?"

Jinx cocked her head, thinking on the matter as they ached a path over the Jump City Bay. "What do girlfriends and boyfriends…_do_, exactly?"

Danny slowed to a stop, still intangible and invisible as he stared out over the skyline of the city. "I…I'm not sure, really. I mean…I've had _a_ girlfriend before, but…that turned out…badly."

"Do tell?" Jinx asked, her tone deceptively light. Inwardly, her gut twisted with jealousy.

Danny tapped his ice, freezing over the embarrassment that threatened to flush his face. "Long story short…it turned out to be part of a ghost's evil plan to take over the global satellite system. It didn't really help that she'd been trying to hunt my ghost half down in the name of bloody vengeance for weeks at that point. I'd really rather not talk about it."

"Oh," Jinx nodded, trying again, to hide her true emotional response to the information. She was…_pleased_ that there wouldn't be any messy ex-girlfriends to deal with. Because Danny was _hers_. "Um…you never told me where we're going, by the way."

"Ah!" Danny exclaimed, perking back up. "Well…my parents are in town and they're looking for me, so I thought I'd go make sure they don't think I'm dead or something."

"That's it!" Jinx cried, twisting in Danny's arms.

"Huh?" Danny asked intelligibly.

"Parents! Couples introduce each other to their parents!" Jinx explained.

"Oh!" Danny exclaimed, then blinked, "oh."

Jinx pouted, "Now _that_ sounded enthusiastic." Her sarcasm wasn't lost on the ghostly teen.

"Jinx," Danny groaned tiredly, "I was _joking_ when I offered to let you meet them. My parents are _insane_. You really don't want to meet them."

"Nope!" Jinx grinned, her slightly-too-sharp teeth glinting in the sunlight. "I've gotta'! We've gotta' have one of those really embarrassing 'meet-the-parents' things, like on the sitcoms!"

"No, we don't," Danny pleaded.

Jinx sighed, "Okay, I guess I can go get coffee or something while you meet with your folks-"

Danny perked up.

"-thus proving you really _don't_ care that much about me, our relationship is doomed to failure, and I'll have to return to the life of a cut-throat criminal to stave off starvation." Jinx crooned mock-sorrowfully, her eyes tearing up.

Danny deflated.

There was a heartbeat of silence before Jinx kicked in with soft sniffles.

"Fine!" Danny cried, "But just for the record, this was _your_ idea."

Jinx's eyes instantly cleared, her lips twitching into a cat-ate-the-canary grin.

"And you enjoy my suffering _way_ too much," Danny muttered.

* * *

The Ghost Zone was it's typical ecto-green on void-black environment.

As the Fright Knight galloped through the expansive space, lesser ghosts fled his path. Despite his humiliating defeat at the hands of Phantom, his reputation was still such that it terrified an spirit who wasn't Phantom's equal. Only he, Vlad Plasmius, and Pariah Dark had ever entertained any notions of truly being his better…

Thankfully, that was a short list.

Still, the ghost didn't take nearly as much pleasure as he usually did from the exodus of others from his path. _Phantom_ had made sure that his thoughts would not rest for a very long time…he had brought back that terrible weapon into the world, that loathsome sword _Durendal_. And that…that, _demon-spawn_!

She had _known_ him!

She'd known who he _was_, in his past life.

Virtually the only thing he had to be thankful for towards Phantom, though, was Plasmius' crushing loss, which broke the vow he'd made to the other ghost. With Pariah Dark still entombed, however, he was free to go about his own business…

His stead carried him onward, deeper still into the Ghost Zone.

Pandora's temple listed slowly past his side as he passed into the traditionally 'Greco-Roman' sector of the Ecto-Realm. There were no true 'kingdoms' in the Ghost Zone, beyond each Ghost's individual lair, but there were areas of the afterlife where ghosts of like-minds came together to share memories and reminders of their past lives. He, in fact, had 'lived' in this area prior to the Middle Ages…after the fall of the Classical World.

The Fright Knight was not one, normally, to reminisce like an elderly fool, but…

Seeing so many relics of that long-destroyed world standing before him…

It was in that age-old world where he'd first been imagined, first been _Made Real_ by the prayers and exaltations of countless worshipers…where he'd been a _GOD_!

He'd ridden forth like a ravening storm on the backs of countless wars and plagues. He'd hidden in the hearts of men as they stared into the _dark_ night around them, mere torches and fires the only comforting light. He'd fed civil wars, assassinations, murder, and mass panic. And, in the end, when the Barbarians came upon the Eternal City, he'd ridden _wild_ like no other time in history…

_Fear had run rampant through the streets…_

_ Some and ash from the fires raiders set clogged the sky…_

_ Women, children, men…gutted like animals…_

_ Wild beasts from the Coliseum set free to ravage the populous…_

With the death of Rome, though…he had lost himself. There had been no courage to foil his fear. There had been no Epic Heroes for him to cripple with whispers of cowardice and weakness. The killing blow, though, had been borne by that thrice-_cursed_ blade Durendal!

The Blade of Endurance.

The Light in the Darkness.

The Sword of Miracles…

It was the blade that brought unbelievable chance and luck to it's owner, making defeat _nigh-impossible_…

And armed with it, a mere mortal had done the inconceivable and killed a _God_.

The Fright Knight's hands clenched in memory of his own death as his winged horse carried him deeper into the Ghost Zone. Finally, within a deep cave, he dismounted and came up to the reason for his journey. His death…no matter how traumatic, held not a candle to what rested before him.

…

_He'd died._

_ The cloaked figure before him assured him of that fact._

_ "You're looking…different."_

_ A skeletal smile. "Indeed. Times have changed…and so have you."_

_ He looked down at himself. He was wearing armor, heavy and black with green flames erupting from it in places. "Interesting."_

_ A chuckle, the sound of grave soil being disturbed. "A Black Knight… appropriate for the new era, I suppose. It is, after all, the will of the living that shapes us."_

_ "Us?" He'd asked, somewhat slowly._

_ "Mmmhm. Gods, the Faye, Ghosts." He left himself unsaid._

_ "You as well then, I suppose," He'd asked pointedly._

_ The skeletal figure in the black shawl fairly growled. He had always hated reminders that he was not, in fact, all powerful. "Come, father is waiting."_

_ "How is Ares doing? I had thought the Fall of Rome would have truly killed him as it did so many others," He'd said._

_ A spectral scythe tapped mockingly against the floor of his lair, "War will never truly die, brother, and he's going by a new name these days."_

_ "Do tell?" He asked sarcastically._

_ "Pariah. Pariah Dark. The Ghost King."_

…

The massive coffin was tied down by thick chains, which had been wrapped across the container hundreds of years ago. Still, the years had made them weak and, with nary a hesitation, the Fright Knight brought his blade down on the chains. The sound of groaning ecto-metal screamed out for a moment, then the bindings split open. Another long, wooden groan, and the top of the coffin fell away, leaving the Fright Knight staring at the personification of death.

"Hello Phobos," The Grim Reaper stated, dust shifting from his bones.

"Deimos." The Fright Knight, the Ghost of the God of Fear, greeted neutrally.

"I take it that pumpkin was finally smashed?" The Grim Reaper asked, stepping from his coffin with his scythe. "I almost laughed myself sick when the Great Specters used that for your prison."

"Stupid pagan lore," The Fright Knight spat. "But no, someone let me out."

Orbs of black light grew large, Death's eyes widened. "Someone…what _fool _would let _you_ out?"

"It's funny you should ask," The Fright Knight said. "That same fool bested both Father and myself in one-on-one combat."

The Reaper's eyes shot wider, "Hera's Tits, Man! Don't keep me waiting!"

"First, Dearest and Last of My Kin," The Fright Knight sneered, "Tell me how you would feel about another plague? Like that one you cooked up in the thirteen hundreds when father needed new recruits for his war against the Champions of the Ghost Zone?"

The Reaper stared at his brother for a long moment. He had not 'died' like his sibling and father, merely…transitioned when the pantheon of the Gods fell to ruin with Rome. He was the God of Death, after all. Still, his power was not what it had been in ages past. Death was no longer some mysterious and chance thing. Even while his material form had been bound, some part of him, an instinctual and animalistic piece of himself, had been out in the world, taking life where it was necessary. The modern mortals took great pride in having 'explained' and 'cheated' death with science and medicine. He would not be able to unleash another Black Death as he had before…

Though…now that he was _free_…

Death's Scythe tapped twice on the floor of the ectoplasmic cave. "Give me a little time, brother, and I'll be sure to _raise some_ _Hell_ for you."

* * *

Well, it's been a while, folks, but I'm back.

Just to reiterate, I'm not dropping this story. I've been on it for over a year now and I'm pretty sure I'm going to finish, no matter how rough the going gets. Oh, on the topic of 'rough-going,' I'm now...technically, kind of, officially, a graduate. After an epic fetch-quest of the paperwork variety, it looks like I'm done with my coursework and will do the whole 'diploma' thing in the spring. Fun. On the topic of fanfiction, though, which is what you're all probably here for...this chapter was delayed for numerous reasons which I won't go into. Suffice to say, this is basically the pre-arc prep-work for the sequel. We're going into the last 2/3 chapters of HIVE Minded, right now.

In reflection...the early chapters are crap. I should really, REALLY, rewrite the first dozen or so chapter, at least. That's kind of a back-burner thing right now, though. I have talked to several people who've pointed out plot-holes or just 'weird' things that don't really fit in those early phases. I'm working on something that might fix that right now...hopefully not involving that time-consuming rewrite I mentioned earlier.

In any case you all can consider this a late Christmas Present or a slightly early New Year's Present. Virtual Fireworks for Everybody!

Um...I think that's it, actually. Let's see, the next chapters aren't going to be nearly as serious as the last few have and I'm really looking forward to them. Danny needs a little 'R&R' to get him ready for what I've got in store. Next chapter...The Fenton Family Reunion (Minus Jazz), Jinx's introduction, our mystery guest(s) enter stage left, and Dani's up and about.

Oh yeah! Go to my bio page, right now! I'm having a poll for what my next story should be! (And maybe check out JUSTICE, if you're a Code Geass fan.)

Go, Vote! Exercise your democratic rights and wrongs!

Jolly Tidings for a Yule-Tide Season, Slayer Anderson.


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